


How To Save a Life

by mariposaroja



Category: MotoGP RPF, Motorcycling RPF
Genre: (maybe lots?), Fluff and Angst, Humor, M/M, Surgeon AU, hospital au, some medical inaccuracies, warning for different medical conditions/injuries
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-07-15
Updated: 2017-08-30
Packaged: 2018-04-09 12:54:46
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 46
Words: 100,404
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4349609
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mariposaroja/pseuds/mariposaroja
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"<i>People’s lives are in our hands and all I can think is who the fuck thought it was a good idea to let all of us loose on a hospital. Where there are sick people. Who could die."</i> </p><p>In which Marc is a surgical intern who just wants to make the world a better place.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Monlau Montmeló

**Author's Note:**

> I was contemplating waiting until I had finished Champion on Board to upload this but it just wouldn't leave me alone so I now have to up my planning game! But I'm really loving where I get to go with this (even though the pairings are still a mystery to me... :P) so I really hope that you like it! ♥

Marc anxiously fidgeted it with the unfamiliar fabric of his scrubs, ultimately deciding that maybe pale blue wasn’t the best colour on him. But that didn’t matter, that was the furthest thing from mattering at that moment because he did it. He actually made it through medical school, albeit not without _a lot_ of damage to his bank account but with the hours he would be working in the hospital it’s not like he would actually have _time_ to spend much anyway.

 _Crap_ , he thought, noticing a stain close to the hem, _I’ve had these on all of five minutes, how the hell did that even happen?_

“It’s okay, you wouldn’t even notice it.”

Startled by the sudden noise, Marc jumped slightly before looking up to find a pair of dazzlingly blue eyes upon him. And those eyes belonged to a man, tall and blonde and dressed identically to him. Youth and inexperience seemed to almost ooze from him and Marc quickly surmised that he must be an intern just like himself.

“Thanks. I don’t even know how it got there.”

He smiled. “Happens to the best of us. I’m Álvaro.”

Marc shook the hand that was openly extended. “Marc. You’re an intern too?”

Much to his dismay and embarrassment, Alvaro began to chuckle and shook his head. “It’s okay, I get that a lot. I’m a second year resident but I always seem to be mistaken for an intern. I try to take it as a compliment. I do remember how exciting/ unbearably nerve wracking orientation day is though.”

“That’s a pretty accurate description. I mean, people’s lives are in _our_ hands and all I can think is who the fuck thought it was a good idea to let all of us loose on a hospital. Where there are sick people. Who could die.”

Álvaro chuckled, shaking his head softly to himself. “You know what? Just don’t kill anyone and trust me, you’ll do brilliantly. You’re not going to be doing solo surgeries on your first day so you should relax a little-“ a beep interrupted his pep talk and the blond looked down at the device clipped to the band of his surgical scrubs, “999… fuck. I’ve got to go, I’m sure I’ll see you around sometime!” he smiled before sprinting off down the corridor, shouting at people to get out of his way.

 _Strangely enough, I don’t feel comforted by that…_ Turning his attention back to the small heard that had gathered, Marc looked at all the faces, finding it hard to believe that these would the people he would be working with day in, day out for (hopefully) at least a couple of years. Amongst them were future cardiologists, neurosurgeons, paediatricians… people who would be the difference between life and death or sickness and health… That made him proud, from the moment he had his first medical school lecture that had been the case, but the fact that he was one of those people also weighed heavy on him.

Monlau Montmeló Medical was without a doubt one of the most renowned hospitals in the country, producing and collecting quite a number of word class surgeons, who were all equally masters of their fields, over the years since it had first opened its doors. And Marc had been fortunate enough to be granted an internship there, his excellent scores in his exams obviously proving that he had what it took to work there. But that didn’t ease his mind for a minute; he’d always been intelligent but even he had to admit his ability to learn and retain information was quite special and it had helped him a lot. Marc would be the first to point out that testing well didn’t automatically equate with applying the information well in a real life scenario. That terrified him; all along he’d been the best and the possibility that he could still fail after coming all this way gave him nightmares.

Before he had the chance to fret anymore, the group was quickly called to attention by another doctor, clad in the same pale blue scrubs that they all were, although clearly older than most of them present. “Hello, my name is Dr Cardús and I am a second year resident here. I have been given the… challenge of being in charge of this year’s interns so, basically, if any of you fuck up, it’s on me. So please don’t fuck up.

“You’re all here at Monlau because you are the best of the best and we expect nothing less. The journey is by no means going to be easy, you’re bound to fail in some way at some point, but the crucial thing is that you must _learn_. Any criticism you get, no matter how much you may disagree, must be taken on board. You’ll soon realise that the residents and attendings are not here to make your life a living hell. Anything they tell you, anything they ask you to do is for the welfare of the patients or to help you to better yourselves so that you can quickly become world class surgeons in your fields. You may not be aware of the system we have in operation here. So I’m now going to pass you on to our Chief of Surgery here at Monlau, Dr. Alzamora.”

Giving his thanks to Ricky, Emilio briefly scanned the faces of the latest batch of interns, recognising a few already, before giving a brief nod. “As Dr Cardús has already said, my name is Dr Emilio Alzamora and I run the surgical unit here. Firstly, I would like to congratulate all of you on making it this far; you’ve already shown good indications that you have what it takes to make it in the profession. But being a surgeon is not something that should be taken lightly. You will be pushed to your limits without apology, because we are the difference between life and death and, as such, you will be held to incredibly high standards. It may very well turn out that some of you haven’t got what it takes, it happens. Some of you may realise that your talents could be better utilised elsewhere. But the responsibility to realise that is on you, it’s full steam ahead as far as we’re concerned unless you do something that we think is unacceptable, in which case there will be consequences…”

Marc risked a glance at the people around him, some obviously petrified, some determined, some confident… And he wasn’t exactly sure where he fit, especially with his new found self-doubt. But despite that, he knew he was a hard worker, not someone that gave up easily, always striving to better himself and surely that would work in his favour.

“We have one of the smallest, most select intern programs in Europe. There are nine of you, one to fit into each specialty here in the hospital: general, orthopaedics, cardiology, neurology, paediatrics, obstetrics, urology, plastics and trauma. You will learn your specialty from some of the best surgeons the world has to offer, all willing to pass on their extensive knowledge of their field. Use your attendings wisely but also learn from the residents in your departments. They’ve been through this already and you would be foolish not to draw on that.

“You have been assigned a specialty based on the collective opinions of myself and the heads of departments. We’ve assessed your strengths and weaknesses and put you where we think you will fit the best. These assignments are not definitive, however. Sometimes, not often, but sometimes, we make mistakes and as you begin to learn you will realise that your natural ability lies in another specialty. We will adjust accordingly but I urge you to start with an open mind; you might just be surprised. Thank you.”

Dr Alzamora received a round of applause from all present, Marc finding in completely impossible not to be in awe of the chief who had such a prestigious career. His techniques and methods were the stuff of legend in the medical school he had attended, everyone aiming to be the next Emilio Alzamora. The fact that he got to work under him just gave him chills.

“Now for the moment of truth…” Dr Cardús took over again, grinning almost evilly, and Marc felt genuinely scared. He had known from the beginning where he wanted to end up: paediatrics. Working with children always gave him such joy, so much so that he contemplated becoming a teacher before he realised that medicine was for him. He knew for some it was hard to connect with kids but he’d never had that problem. Not only that but Monlau had one of the world’s best paediatricians on their books in the form of Dr Dani Pedrosa, an idol of Marc’s.

“Bradl?” A guy a couple of feet away from him raised his hand quietly. “You’ll be working under Dr Crutchlow in trauma. Redding? Urology with Dr Edwards. Rabat? Ortho, Dr Hayden. Herrera? Cardio, Dr Rossi.”

That didn’t go down well with the remaining interns. The role of intern to the famous cardiologist, Valentino Rossi, was highly coveted. Not only was he the best at what he did, he also had a habit of producing award winning surgeons, many going on to do ground-breaking research in the field. Herrera, the only woman amongst them, seemed to welcome this with open arms, delighted obviously but still dignified.

The corners of Cardús’ mouth tugged up at that before he continued. “Viñales? Plastics/ENT, Dr Iannone. Miller? Obstetrics, Dr Dovisioso.”

There were a couple of giggles as Miller groaned, sulking as he muttered something about a threat to his masculinity.

“Zarco? General under Dr Stoner.”

That left two, Marc and the guy standing directly to his right, both going through the list until they figured out which two were left: paeds and neuro. Marc knew just from looking at the guy that he wasn’t dying to work with children all day so he was obviously gunning for neuro. That suited him fine, assuming that is, that the powers that be agreed with them. _Please give me paeds… I will pay you…_ The tension began to quickly build, everyone else, already comfortably assigned, watching them.

“Espargaró?” _Don’t do that, don’t pause like that. It’s cruel. This is my future you’re playing with._ “Paediatrics, Dr Pedrosa.” The guy to his right let out a very disappointed groan, turning to glare at Marc, who was equally disappointed even though the rest of his peers probably thought that he had gotten the long end of the stick.

“Which leaves Marquez with neuro and Dr Lorenzo.”  

Feeling a bit deflated all of a sudden, Marc tried his best to look excited, which was probably convincing by other people’s standards but he couldn’t help but wish that he could swap with Espargaró. Dr Lorenzo was an incredible, multi award winning surgeon but neuro just didn’t excite him that much, it was clinical and the stakes were unbelievably high, one wrong move enough to kill or ruin the patient’s life. He would try his absolute best, of course, as he always did but it was still a bit of a let-down. _And I’m pretty sure at least 30 percent of these people now hate me._

“Okay, so now you’ll all receive your first cases…” Dr Cardús made his way around, handing them each a file. Marc knew from the moment he caught sight of his that he would be in for a _very_ long shift. A manila folder almost stretched to its limit, no less than at least fifty pages sandwiched inside it, tabs all over the place… As soon as Cardús told them to get to it and disappeared, Espargaró turned to him, looking between Marc and the file that weighed him down with an expression of pure disgust.

“You lucky bastard.”

He just scoffed, shaking his head to himself, before turning away, going in search of 4C. _Yup, that’s me. The lucky bastard._


	2. With a Capital 'A'

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I told myself as soon as I got another chapter of Champion written that I could upload another of this... Looks like two fics on the go at the same time is actually making me MORE productive. Who knew? ;) If any of you have thoughts about pairings I would be _very_ interested to hear... ♥

“Ah, Marquez.”

He spun around, from where he had been hovering by the door into the patient’s room wondering if he should go in or not, only to see Dr Cardús standing in front of him, an amused expression on his face. “Dr Cardús,” Marc smiled, trying his best to look like he knew what he was doing.

The resident held out his hand. “I should probably introduce myself properly… I’m Ricky, Dr Lorenzo’s resident. We’ll be serving together it seems.”

 _Ah, that makes a lot of sense…_ “Nice to meet you, I’m Marc.”

“I must say, I’ve never seen a reaction like yours to being told that you’ve got neuro…” Ricky chuckled, arching an eyebrow. Cheeks suddenly burning, Marc bit his lip, wondering exactly what he should say to that. He could lie or tell the truth and risk looking like he wasn’t interested in his work… Fortunately, the older man made that decision for him. “Let me guess, paeds? You look like someone who loves kids…”

 _Glad to know I’m that transparent._ “Guilty. Don’t get me wrong, I’m sure neuro is going to be amazing but it’s just… not what I was expecting.”

“I wouldn’t worry about it too much. I was sure I wanted general when I was an intern, but being placed in neuro is the best thing that’s ever happened to me. Besides, I’d take it as a compliment. If Dr Alzamora and Dr Lorenzo have chosen you for this specialty, you can pretty much assume that you’re the best of the best.”

 _I never thought of it like that…_ “I’ll take your word for it.”

“You should. Now, you’ve had a flick through the patient’s chart? Good. This is one of Jorge’s regulars as you can probably see. So we’ll go in, set up an IV and take some blood, the general stuff and wait for him to come. I’ve paged him so he’s on his way.”

Marc nodded along, mentally preparing himself for having to come face to face with an actual patient, someone who wasn’t one of his classmates in a pretend scenario. He may have said he was ready but at that point in time he felt the furthest thing from it, fingernails cutting into his palms behind his back as he followed Ricky inside like a lost puppy. The patient wasn’t exactly what he expected, looking a bit too jolly for someone who suffered perpetually from debilitating seizures, sat up in bed, greeting them with a big smile. Her eyes immediately fell on Marc. “Oh, this one is new…”

“Rafaella, this is Dr Marquez.”

“Another puppy?”

Ricky chuckled, looking to the woman’s file once again. “Another puppy. You’re his first patient.”

“Pff, poor boy. Although I am flattered that I’m taking your medical virginity,” the blonde winked, causing his cheeks to burn. _What is happening??_ “Tell me, _Dr Marquez_ , are you single?”

His eyes almost bugged out of his head, looking to Ricky briefly for some indication of how he should answer that but receiving nothing of value. _Is this actually happening? She’s obviously attractive but PATIENT._ “I’m in a relationship with my job. And I _really_ hope that we will be together for a very long time…”

Rafaella exchanged a brief glance with the resident. “I like him.” Marc felt oddly touched.

“We’re just going to run through the usual procedure; vitals, IV, bloods…”

“I know the drill, trust me.”

“Okay Dr Marquez,” Ricky turned to him, face completely unchanging, “get started.”

 _Are you serious..?_ He thought for a moment about replying with a ‘really?’ but quickly decided against it, knowing that wouldn’t exactly give the patient confidence in him, instead nodding, trying his best to look like he knew what he was doing. But he did, right? Marc began by checking her vitals, taking notes accordingly, which helped with his nerves, relaxing a bit as a sense of familiarity overcame him. After that there wasn’t much of a struggle; he took her blood pressure, drew some blood, inserted a line… all things he had been taught from the beginning and all without doing any more damage to the poor woman.

Just as he was about to finish up, they were joined by someone else, a man in dark navy scrubs swaggering into the room, white lab coat on, even whiter smile to match… A confidence that Marc greatly admired.

“Fancy seeing you here again, Raffa.”

“I know!” she gasped in false shock, “What a coincidence!”

Marc handed him the chart with all the newly gathered information and stood back out of the way next to his resident as Dr Lorenzo perched on the edge of her bed, verifying some information. He talked her through the various options (surgical and otherwise) depending on the test results and she listened to every word he said, weighing in equally, obviously very used to being in a similar situation. The intern had to admit that he was a bit in awe of Lorenzo, the way he spoke to her, the blatant familiarity, not one bit patronising, the way he explained things…

And Marc found, much to his relief, that everything he said sounded familiar (as if he would just forget everything the moment he left medical school), memories of tests and lectures and research coming flooding back as soon as he heard certain key words. For the first time that day, he thought that maybe there was a chance that he wouldn’t fail completely. _I’m a doctor. I can actually do this._

Once Lorenzo had finished up he sent Marc away to the lab, telling him to monitor her closely once they were outside and to get back to him as soon as humanly possible with the results. He did as he was told, almost running up to the sixth floor, getting lost along the way, before returning to the nurse’s station by the patient’s room, knowing that she could spontaneously have a seizure at any moment and fearing that he wouldn’t be there if it happened.

Unfortunately, he wasn’t the only intern there…

There was only so many evil glares that Marc could take before it really started to get on his nerves, making him sigh wearily. _Is this really what it’s going to be like?_ “I didn’t want neuro, you know,” he informed Espargaró, glancing up from the patient file in front of him.

“What?”

 _And now you’re looking at me like I’m crazy… I can tell and I’m not even looking at_ you _._ “I wanted paeds, not neuro so you can stop acting like I stole it from you now, if you wouldn’t mind. If you want to blame anyone, blame Alzamora.”

“You wanted _paeds_ over neuro? What the hell is wrong with you??”

Marc gave a small shrug. “I love kids. I thought I’d fit there better but apparently that’s not the case.”

“Oh.”

“Yeah.”

“Well, you still got the better deal. I have nothing against children but that doesn’t mean I want to spend all day every day with them. And,” Espargaró looked around quickly to make sure that no one was close enough to overhear, “to be honest, Pedrosa is a bit of an asshole. Well, when I say a bit…”

Marc felt his stomach drop, in a way he assumed was solely reserved for hearing something about your hero that you didn’t like. _Okay, stop before you destroy everything I’ve come to accept about the world. Dani Pedrosa, celebrated paediatric surgeon, an asshole??_ He grimaced. “He operates on sick children every day. I wouldn’t exactly call that being an asshole…”

Arching an eyebrow, the other man chuckled humourlessly. “You would think. With patients? Fantastic. With other people? Asshole with a capital A.”

He returned one of the death glares that he had been on the receiving end of not five minutes ago. _Maybe you’re the asshole._ “You’ve only just met him, how can you know if he’s an asshole or not?”

“I’m a good judge of character,” he grinned, “By the way, I’m Pol. And you are…?”

Marc shook the hand extended to him, albeit with little enthusiasm. “Marc.”

“So, Marc, what about Lorenzo? What’s he like?”

“Not assolish? From what I’ve seen of him so far he seems…” _What, nice? Am I twelve?_ “Fine. Really good with patients.”

“Appreciate what you’ve got, I would kill to be on Lorenzo’s service. But you heard what Alzamora said, right?  Things can change…”

_Yeah, and I have a feeling you’re not going to stop until you get my job._

 

_Two hours. Two hours and no results._

He’d been in to see Rafaella a number of times in that period, relieved to find every time that her status hadn’t changed since the initial assessment, making him feel more and more comfortable every time he checked on her.

_Mistake mistake mistake._

Truth was, Marc had gotten a little too relaxed, let his guard down a little too much, meaning that he couldn’t react as quick as he should have been able to when the alarm started to sound, code blue being called over the intercom. At first he guessed it was someone else’s patient (because his was fine, right?) and let it go. That was until he glanced over briefly and saw nurses quickly filling Rafaella’s room, crash cart being swiftly wheeled in, charts falling from his hands to the floor as his senses caught up with his eyes and he began to sprint down the corridor.

_Oh my god oh my god oh my god._

He had just reached the doorway when his pager began to sound, which he ignored completely, stomach dropping at the sight of the previously very alert patient seizing on the bed, nurses working quickly, pushing sedatives into her IV, trying to restrain her so she didn’t do too much damage to herself. _FUCK._

“Dr Marquez!”

_I’ve only been here like three hours._

“ _Dr Marquez._ ”

 _She was fine. Where’s Ricky? Where’s Lorenzo?_ “Did you page Cardús and Lorenzo?” he wondered, finally managing to find his voice, the sound almost alien to him.

“Yes! But you’re here, how do you want to proceed?”

A piercing beep filled the room. “She’s flatlining!”

_Fuckfuckfuckfuckfuck._

“ _Dr Marquez!_ ”

 _You’re the doctor._ Taking a deep breath, Marc steadied himself enough to act, his earlier thoughts about being the difference between life and death were now clearly illustrated, the chance to prove his worth now presenting itself. Springing to action, he pushed two nurses out of the way, grabbing the paddles from the cart. “Charge...” _You are not going to die on my watch._ “Clear.” All hands and equipment were moved away as he placed the paddles on the patient’s chest, heart pounding as she jolted with the shock.

_Nothing. Where the fuck is Jorge Lorenzo???_

“Charge!” Still nothing. _I’m going to be fired on my first day._ “Charge.” This time they didn’t do what he said, looking at each other as if he was a mad man and none of them were brave enough to tell him. “Charge!”

“Dr Marquez-“

“ _Charge._ ” _This better work…_ “Clear!”

And it did, _mercifully_ it did. The constant beep stopped, falling back into a stable rhythm, Marc not taking his eyes away from the screen for a minute just to be absolutely sure. Once he was satisfied that she was actually alive, he put the paddles down again, feeling like he badly needed a lie down after the trauma of it all. But he survived and, most importantly, so did the patient. _How the fuck did I just do that._

“What’s going on?” Lorenzo demanded, bolting into the room just ahead of Ricky, both looking equally determined.

“She seized and went into cardiac arrest, we pushed Lorazepam, no change. Dr Marquez managed to resuscitate her.”

“Right,” the surgeon nodded, glancing briefly at his new protégé. “Marquez, I need to you to get to the lab and beg, plead, cry… just do whatever you can to get those results. I’m not going in blind.”

“Going in?”

“To surgery, it’s not an option anymore. Get me those results and you’re in on it.”

_And now I think I’m going to puke._


	3. Set The Fuse To Go, Go, Go

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for all the lovely comments! Here's another chapter as a token of my gratitude! ♥

_Here I am. Holding the results that Lorenzo wants. And I’m going to give them to him. And then I’ll get to scrub in. On my first day. On a highly invasive-borderline-experimental surgery._

It was a strange sensation, like a paradox of emotions, the complete terror and plain _glee_ he felt at the same time. A surgery, in the first couple of hours of his shift. Practically unheard of for a surgical intern. He tried to silence the voice in the back of his head that said it was not on merit, rather just an incentive to get Lorenzo what he needed; he’d saved the girl’s life, surely that was at least an indicator that he wasn’t completely incompetent…

_Results. Lorenzo. Surgery._

After getting a bit lost (again) Marc managed to find the attendings’ lounge, where he assumed he would find Lorenzo, or at least hoped.  Thankfully, the door was left open and it only took a glance inside to see that his attending was in fact there, sitting on one of the couches with a bunch of files in front of him, brow furrowed and lips mashed into a hard line. _And you’re not alone._ There were a couple of other men, all wearing the same scrubs, dotted around the room so he knocked.

“Dr Lorenzo?”

The surgeon’s head snapped up, a look of relief replacing the confusion as he looked between Marc and the file that he held in his hand. “Marquez. Did you have to beg?” the corners of his mouth tugged upwards and he beckoned him inside.

“No, but I did have to bat my eyelashes…” he chuckled, hoping that wasn’t too out of line.

“At Danilo?”

 _Apparently some joking is okay._ “I got the results didn’t I,” he smiled, passing the file on to his mentor, trying to ignore the inquisitive looks of some of the other attendings which proved to be quite difficult. Especially when his hero was casually sitting there, just a couple of feet away, watching him with a frown. _Dani fucking Pedrosa. With his smouldering eyes._

“You did…” Flicking through the results, Lorenzo let his finger linger over some of the figures, frown firmly back in place. “Have you looked at these?” Marc gave a nod in answer, “And what do you think?”

 _I take it you’re asking to test me…_ “I think surgery is the best- probably _only_ option. The tumour… if continues growing at the rate it is then she could lose the ability to speak, possibly even her memory. It’s incredibly risky but I think it’s the better option.”

“And what approach would you take? Partial or full resection?”

“Full. With partial you would be back in there in three weeks’ time.”

"Even though there's more risk?"

"Even though there's more risk." 

Lorenzo observed him for a moment, as if he were sizing him up, before nodding. “Okay.  Book an OR and then grab something to eat, we’re going to be in there for at least seven hours.  I’ll go talk her through the surgery and then you can get her prepped. I want to be in there within the next hour.” 

“You’re letting an intern, who hasn’t even been her five hours, scrub in on a _major_ surgery?”

Marc knew where the question had come from, even though he _really_ wished he didn’t, before even turning his head. It caused him to flush, desperately wanting to be anywhere but _there_ , under the critical eye of Dani Pedrosa. _This is awkward…_

“Yes, Dani, he’s not an idiot. You’re not an idiot, right?”

 _Well… depends on who you ask._ “No.”

“And you actually have a medical degree, right?”

 _Last time I checked…_ “Yes.”

The attending gave a very exaggerated ‘well’ gesture, closing up the files on the table. “I don’t see a problem. How else is he going to learn? You can go now, Marc. And, remember, _eat_. Because if you faint in my OR I will just work around you. But I don’t want to have to.”

 

“Marc!”

 _Damn._ He had been trying to sneak out of the cafeteria without being seen by the group of interns, wanting to go eat lunch as quick as he could before getting the patient prepped for surgery but, of course, Pol had other ideas, waving him over.  “Come sit.”

“Actually, I have to eat quickly… I’m scrubbing in with Lorenzo in less than an hour.” _I really shouldn’t have said that. There’s no way he’s going to let me go now._ There were a few gasps, some scoffs, from the other interns but it didn’t take a genius to see the way Espargaró’s eyes hardened despite the smile that was still firmly in place.

“You can eat quickly here, can’t you?”

Knowing he wasn’t going to win this one and was just wasting time, Marc gave a shrug and sat down next to the paeds intern, quickly stuffing some pasta into his mouth in hope that the he wouldn’t have to answer a ton of questions. Pol introduced them all; Jack, Maverick, Stefan, Johann, Maria,  Tito and Scott, apparently already the social butterfly of the group.

“You’re scrubbing _already?_ ”

“What have you got? Bet it’s cooler than mine…”

“Recurring seizure inducing tumours.”

“Fuck. That obliterates my broken leg kid.”

Marc looked between Pol and the guy he had introduced as Tito, mouth full. “You two are working together?”

The former nodded, giving a little shrug. “Yup. Hayden’s a lot better to be around than Pedrosa. At least he’s got a sense of humour…”

 _You’re making him out to be the devil incarnate…_ Which was a lot to digest, especially seeing as he hadn’t exactly been getting good vibes from the attending while he was talking to Jorge. _But maybe he’s just having a bad day._ “Is he really that bad?”

Tito frowned, pushing a piece of chicken breast around his plate as he contemplated his answer. “He’s not exactly a joker…”

“Which is basically code for asshole,” Jack concluded, causing Pol to smile smugly and give an exaggerated ‘there you go’ gesture and Tito to quickly argue that that wasn’t what he meant, his protestations pretty much falling on deaf ears.

Giving a very brief, and childish, shrug, the neuro intern returned to his food, wanting to finish as soon as he could for fear that the closer the surgery got, the bigger the chance it would all make a reappearance again. And, to be perfectly honest, he wanted to escape this weird… bonding session that the other interns had going on. He finally managed to, scoffing down his food in record time, making his excuses that he had a patient to prep (not a lie) and fled the cafeteria, needing a little while to himself to get into the surgery mind set.

Rafaella was not the same woman that had been (borderline?) flirting with him early on. She was still smiling, albeit with not as much enthusiasm, but the twinkle in her eye that he had seen was now long gone, Marc fully aware of just what she went through did to the body and mind. Even the best forced smile couldn’t mask the fear, the worry that everything could easily go spectacularly wrong. And Marc wanted to be scared too, but in that moment he realised that she was counting on him to be strong, the confident one, to make her feel that little bit better. Which he did, assuring her from the bottom of his heart that if he was in her position and he could choose anyone in the world to do the surgery, it would be Jorge Lorenzo. That was a statement that she seemed to readily accept, her history with the surgeon and his words seemingly enough to do the trick.

So from that moment on until they reached the OR and they parted ways, her to be anaesthetised, him to disinfect, he was the brave one, the fearless, albeit recently qualified, surgeon with the power to save millions of people. But that began to change once he was standing outside the cold, clinical room, watching her lie unconscious on the table all the while standing next to Jorge Lorenzo of all people as he scrubbed his skin of any trace of bacteria. He tried desperately to hide the small shake in his hand and obviously failed, his mentor staring him down, green eyes narrowed ever so slightly.

“You’re nervous.”

 _No point in lying._ “A little. This is a live person who could-“

“Agh! Do _not_ say it. We do not say that anywhere near my OR, okay?” Marc nodded meekly, feeling like a child being chastised by his mother. “It’s okay to be nervous, this is a very risky procedure and you’re in there on your first day as an intern. And, of course, you can always give it a miss but that’s not going to help you at all. Because the next one will be your first and you’ll still feel the same. You’re always going to feel something similar- people’s _lives_ are in our _hands­_ \- and if you don’t then it’s time to put down the scalpel.”

All Marc could do was nod once again, because he knew Lorenzo was right. The other interns would laugh him out of the locker room if they heard he passed on this surgery, basically setting a bad tone for his entire career from the beginning. And that wasn’t the surgeon he wanted to be; he wanted to a Jorge Lorenzo, a Dani Pedrosa, a Valentino Rossi… He wanted to be _better_ than any of them, not just match them. He wanted to save lives, win awards, come up with ground breaking techniques. And that would come but it would begin with this surgery. Right now.

Sensing that his young protégé had gotten the message, the attending gave a little smile. “My mentor all those years ago said something to me before my first surgery that I’ll never forget. He said: ‘You want to know the difference between a master and a beginner? The master has failed more times than the beginner has ever tried.’”

 _And I’m pretty sure that by ‘failing’ you don’t mean killing someone…_ “Sounds like a wise guy…”

“He was. But it kind of ruined the moment a bit afterwards when he said ‘but don’t fucking kill anyone’… I usually leave that bit out.”

The surgery was intense, not in the ‘oh my god something has suddenly gone wrong and we need to do x, y and z’ kind of way but rather like he had been running a marathon that he had been training for for the past six years. Lorenzo was everything Marc had expected him to be: calm, collected but, most of all, incredibly smooth. Not a movement was wasted, each made only to serve a purpose, to get them closer to their goal. There was no ‘moment’, where her blood pressure dropped or a blood vessel was accidentally sliced, nothing like in the movies or tv shows. Despite the risk, it went without incident and before Marc knew it she was being stitched up and moved to the intensive care unit and he and Jorge were scrubbing out, the latter lauding his apprentice on a job well done despite his minimal participation.

And it made Marc feel like he was flying, like he could take on the world, make it a better place one tumour resection at a time; nothing, not alcohol or drugs or sex could ever compare to the rush of pure adrenaline that he felt as he witnessed the procedure, witnessed his mentor saving someone’s _life_.

_There will be no better feeling ever._


	4. Chupamedias

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hmm, this isn't my favourite chapter but at least it's getting the storyline going a bit! I'm trying to keep it as non-graphic as possible but it's hard for me to tell because I've pretty much become desensitised by Grey's Anatomy :/ Hopefully it's okay for everyone! I've also made some little adjustments (ages and such) for different reasons (ie Marc couldn't be twenty two) in case there's any confusion

Marc was tired, more tired than he’d ever been in his entire life, as if he hadn’t sleep for the past three years. Getting his shoes on was even a problem, just sitting there on the bench in the interns’ locker room staring at the floor as his eyes alternated between open and closed, beginning to drop off right then and there. _Have I ever slept before or was that an illusion?_

“Hello! Marquez!”

 _Stop talking._ “ _What?_ ” he groaned, not moving from his position, still slumped over with his chin rested against his chest.

“Here’s probably not a good place to go to sleep. Especially when you’re going to be back here in twelve hours…”

“Can’t move. Too tired.”

“Oh boo hoo! You’re _tired_. We’re all tired but you got to scrub in on a nine hour surgery so stop your complaining and go home!”

 _You really do a good job of making me want to punch you in the face._ Still unmoving, Marc gave Pol the finger before deciding Tito had been right, that he should get out of there since he would be back before he knew it. Haphazardly tying his shoe laces, he hauled himself to his feet once again, giving a big stretch and a yawn. _I’m going to go home and sleep for the next 11 and a half hours._

“You leaving now?” he asked Tito, so far the intern he had gotten along the best with, and the other man nodded, grabbing his bag and saying his brief farewells to the rest of the zombies. They walked together down the corridor to the elevator, passing all the energised staff who were just beginning their shifts, struggling to believe that they were one of them close to twenty hours ago.

“Interesting group of people…”

“Pff, you’re telling me. These are the people that we’re going to be spending the next six years with.”

“Let’s hope that Espargaró isn’t starting as he means to continue and won’t spend six years giving out about Pedrosa. He’s obsessed. I mean, Dani’s not exactly full of joie de vivre but he’s not _that_ bad.”

 _Well, at least you sound a bit more convincing than earlier on…_ “Pol can’t exactly accuse anyone of being an asshole.” Marc didn’t usually make a habit of making quick judgements about people (although, after spending almost a whole day with the guy he could be forgiven) but this was an exceptional case. Espargaró had grated on him from the start, from the moment they had been assigned their attendings. And the whole ‘I hate you for taking my specialty’ thing got old _very_ quickly.

Tito chuckled at that, giving a little shrug as they reached the elevator. “You’re not wrong. There’s some good guys though. Johann seems nice, so does Stefan. A little quiet but that’s not bad, right? Maria is…”

“Yeah.” She was feisty for sure, more than likely a result of being the only female intern of the nine of them. But in a good way. She was seriously good at what she did, leaving absolutely no doubt as to why she had been spotted by Valentino Rossi. A bing sounded and the elevator doors opened, a crowd of people stepping out before the two interns entered.

“And Jack...”

“ _Yeah._ ”

They chatted a little more as they made their way out of the hospital, into breaking light of sunrise, the difference in temperature from inside making Marc shiver instantly, about nothing really in particular. Families (Tito was an only child from Almería while Marc had a brother at home with his parents in Cervera), where they lived (both recently relocating to within a couple of kilometres of the hospital), their ages (Tito two years older than Marc at twenty six)… And he was relieved to find that there was at least one intern (for now) that he could see himself becoming friends with.

Thankfully, his apartment was relatively close, just managing to wake himself up enough to make it there without crashing the car and ending up right back at the hospital again. No lights were even switched on once he was inside, falling into bed almost instantly, only stopping to remove his shoes, pants and t shirt and set an alarm for eleven hours’ time on the off-chance that he would miss the start of his shift.

The alarm wasn’t needed, but only just. He woke around four fifty, lying there for an extra couple of moments to mentally prepare himself for getting up and getting ready for work. _Again. I guess this is how it’s going to be from now on; work, sleep, work some more, sleep some more…_ On the bright side, he felt quite refreshed, energetic enough that the thought of another twenty hour shift didn’t seem half as bad as it had in the early hours of the morning when he’d finished up.

After about ten minutes spent contemplating whether he should be eating breakfast, lunch or dinner, he showered, sighing in delight as the scorching hot water undid some of the knots that had formed after his shift, feeling his body relax and loosen up. Lunch eventually won out, Marc eating some left over Bolognese hurriedly before running out the door, days of stopping to check his appearance long gone.

 

The hospital was if he’d never left, everything more or less unchanged since he’d last been there, save of course some new patients and personnel changes. Downing the end of his coffee, the thicker residue at the end causing him to make a face as he tossed it in the bin before entering the locker room, groaning inwardly when he saw Pol, Jack and Maverick engaged in some kind of ‘your half is bigger than _mine_ ’ competition. Well, it seemed to be more Pol and Jack, Maverick didn’t really have much to complain about, the only one who didn’t glare when the neuro intern entered. _This really is going to get old_ very _quickly. Suck it up._

“In enough of us question it then he’s got to do something, right?”

“Well, if we put forward a good enough case…”

“Just leave me out of it, I’m staying where I am.”

 _You have got to be kidding me._ Marc laughed, not chuckled, just plain _laughed_ because he couldn’t believe that they could actually be that naïve. Or stupid. Or both. _Probably both. What are you, ten?_

That didn’t exactly help with the glaring. “What’s so funny, Marquez?”

“Are you reallyplanning on going to Alzamora to _complain_ about your specialty? _Really_?”

If looks could kill, the one he got from Jack after saying that would have been enough to kill him ten times over, the hatred practically radiating from him. “That’s easy for you to say, Mr Fucking Neuro. Whose cock did you fucking suck to get in there? Lorenzo’s? Alzamora’s? Or did you go the extra mile just to be sure and get down on your hands and knees?”

 _Wow. You actually think that’s going to get to me. Get a life._ “If you go to Alzamora and demand to be moved to a different specialty he’s going to laugh you out of there. Or fire you. Probably both. You’ve worked _one_ shift and you expect him to believe that you’re really in the wrong specialty and that you haven’t just got a god complex? Maybe if you stopped complaining and actually put some energy into trying to _learn_ something you might not be so fucking miserable.”

Not wanting to get into an argument and having nothing else to say, Marc grabbed his scrubs from his locker and concentrated on getting changed. The terrible twosome seemed to be in too much shock to reply, Maverick clearly surprised and amused by the fact that he would take a stand against them like that.

“Oooh! Neuro’s got claws!” Maria grinned, looking rather impressed.

 _Neuro’s got_ sense _._

“Alright puppies! You better get your leashes because we are going for a run!” Ricky banged on the door to get their attention (as if the shouting wouldn’t do it) and Marc jumped, almost falling over as he pulled on his pants, “There’s a derailed train down town and it’s going to get very intense very quickly in here. Don’t worry too much about your specialties for now, there’s going to be lots of patients with multiple injuries and we need all hands on deck. There’ll be some swapping around later on. For now just get down to the pit, first ambulance is about five minutes out.”

_And here I was thinking that the second shift would be less eventful than the first…_

They all got moving quickly, Marc hastily grabbing his pager and stethoscope before sprinting along with the other interns after Ricky. There was definitely an air of calm before the storm about the place, everyone ready to go, just waiting for the floodgates to open. Marc shared an anxious glance with Tito as they stood by the entrance to the ER, distant sounds of sirens now audible, getting closer and closer until several ambulance were visible. Then the fun began. It all seemed to happen at once, patients in varying states unloaded, Ricky randomly assigning an intern to each, no one feeling the need to complain.

“Marquez!”

He sprinted towards his designated ambulance, arriving just as the stretcher was wheeled out. “37 year old male, superficials on the head and chest, some severe lacerations to the abdomen.”

Lifting the blanket that was draped over the man’s stomach, he saw exactly what the paramedic was talking about. _Severe is definitely a good way to put it…_ “Was he unconscious when you arrived at the scene?”

“No, we had to sedate him. He was becoming incredibly distressed.”

 _Yeah, finding out you’re missing a good portion of your insides will do that to you…_ A clear path was made by staff as they hurtled through the ER, time definitely of the essence, patient losing an unsustainable amount of blood. “Okay, I’m going to need you to get all the O neg you have on standby. Page Dr Stoner!”

“Dr Stoner is not on call tonight-“

“Then page Alzamora! Just get me a general surgeon down here _now_.” Bypassing the obvious trauma for a moment, Marc checked the patient’s pupils, cursing to himself after double checking them. _No obvious head injuries but…_ “One of his pupils is blown… Page neuro too!”

Taking a deep breath, he got to work on the abdominal injury, carefully removing the packing that had been put there by the medics, wincing when he saw the extent of the damage. _Stoner is great and everything but this_ definitely _needs Emilio Alzamora._ And thankfully he got him, _quickly_ , the Chief obviously ready to offer his services where needed.

“Marquez,” Emilio greeted him curtly, shirt and tie now replaced with scrubs and a surgical gown, “What have we got?”

“37 year old male, obvious severe trauma to the abdomen, approximately three to four inches deep. Right pupil is unresponsive, no obvious trauma to the head. I’ve paged for a consult.”

Going straight to the stomach, the older man only had to look at it for the briefest of moments before knowing exactly what he was dealing with. “The liver is in shreds, thankfully the hepatic vein seems to be okay. If I can stop the bleeding then it might hold up long enough for you to get a CT but you’d have to act fast.”

Marc paused for a moment, ultimately deciding that Lorenzo was probably already busy. _You’re the chief._ “Okay. Let’s do it. Call upstairs and get us to the front of the queue, tell them it’s an emergency,” he instructed one of the nurses who were hovering around, waiting to be of assistance.

“Espargaró! I need you to accompany Marquez to CT, meet me in OR 6 when you’re done… you’re both scrubbing in.”

 _Absolutely fantastic._ Turning around to glare at his fellow intern, Marc was shocked to find that Pol was nowhere to be seen, instead there was a guy a couple of years older standing there. _You’re not Pol…_

Noticing the look of confusion the intern’s face, the corner of Emilio’s mouth tugged upwards. “ _Aleix_ Espargaró.”

_THERE’S TWO OF THEM._


	5. Two Left Feet

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am _so_ sorry for the chapter title... Also warning for surgery (with more description this time but not too much?) Thank you so so much for all your lovely comments! I wanted to update COB before I updated this again but I had this written and I'm going away on Friday so I want to get as much done as possible :/

“So you’re in my brother’s group,” Aleix finally broke the silence after they had wheeled the trolley into the elevator, evicting its previous users, the only words spoken previously between them about the patient’s injuries and status.

 _Yes and I really hope that you’re not as bad as him…_ “Yeah…”

That monosyllabic answer obviously said enough, causing the resident to chuckle and shake his head to himself, not entirely surprised by the reaction. “You’re Marc, right? Neuro?”

“I’m sure you’ve heard _all_ about me.”

“I have. Pol’s a bit… stubborn.”

Marc arched an eyebrow, wanting to laugh out loud. _Stubborn?_ “He’s not happy to be on Pedrosa’s service.”

“No, he isn’t. Pol was top of his class, he thought he was destined for cardio or neuro. Or even plastics. And he’s not exactly the best with children. I do think he’s overreacting a bit, though. But he’ll get used to it. It’s about time he didn’t get his way…”

 _Okay, so maybe you’re not as bad as your brother._ “Is general your specialty or…”

Aleix nodded, taking the brake off the wheels as the elevator came to a halt and the doors began to open. “Yeah, I’ve been here from the beginning. I like the variety, we get a bit of everything. And Casey is _amazing_. How are you finding Jorge?”

Walking out ahead of the resident and the patient so that the IV bag wouldn’t get caught up, Marc stuck his foot in front of the door to stop it from closing. “He’s… not what I expected. In a good way. I don’t know, I just thought he would be…” _What’s the word I’m looking for?_ “harsher. He makes me feel like I actually know something and not just a liability he’s waiting for to fuck up.”

“I heard you got to scrub in on a resection in your first shift; that’s impressive.”

“Lorenzo used it to bribe to get test results.”

“I wouldn’t be too sure… Most of the attendings wouldn’t let your near an OR in the first _week_ , never mind the first couple of hours _regardless_ of any favours you did them. You must have done something right.”

No more was said between the two until they reached the CT room, Marc mulling over the resident’s words, wondering if maybe Aleix was right- if he’d done something to convince Jorge that he was ready to scrub in on a nine hour surgery.

Seeing as they had gotten their spoke in earlier, and after dropping the name Emilio Alzamora, the two surgeons managed to get to the front of the queue, just having to wait for the patient that was already in there to come out. It all happened quickly enough, their patient sedated and obviously not needing anything explained to him. There was also no problem with getting him to remain still and the scans were taken were taken with relative ease and speed.

Hand leaning on the chair of the technician, Marc examined the results, waiting for Ricky to answer his page so they could get a definitive answer. “There…” he pressed his finger over the small white spot on the frontal lobe onscreen, “he’s got a bleed. Small, but there.”

“Looks operable though.”

“I think so. We’ll just see what Ricky says.”

Thankfully, the resident answered his page quickly, joining them within five minutes, looking clean except for the little specs of blood here and there. He exchanged a brief glance with Aleix before focusing his attention on the scans. “Yup, that’s a bleeder. Minor procedure as far as neuro goes, I can get at it while Emilio’s working on him. You’re scrubbing in?” Ricky assumed, looking from the screen to his intern and back when Marc nodded, “Okay, get him prepped. I have to run back down to the ER for a couple of minutes but I’ll be there as soon as I can.”

 

“Marc!”

They were wheeling the patient door the corridor towards OR 6 when another intern suddenly appeared, wearing a surgical gown, not the only thing causing Marc and Aleix to arch an eyebrow, briefly sharing a look with each other. _Do I even want to know??_ “Johann… what’s up?” _Besides the blatantly obvious._

“Have any of you seen a leg?”

_This is hands down the weirdest moment of my life so far. Seriously, what the fuck??_

“Is that not…?” Aleix wondered, studying the intern warily, which Marc couldn’t exactly blame him for.

Johann shook his head, looking far too composed for someone… well, yeah. “No, this one is left… Which we didn’t find out until Hayden was about to operate. But the guy was missing a leg and I had a leg… I mean, I _assumed_ it was belonging to _him_ …”

 _So you found out in the operating room that unless the guy had two left legs…_ “No, Johann, I can safely say that I have _not_ seen any legs around the place. But I’ll be sure to let you know if I do.”

His fellow intern muttered his thanks, at least with the decency to look a little bit flustered by the situation, not as if he was used to finding the _wrong_ leg. Shaking his head to himself, Aleix pretty much doing the same, they continued on towards the operating room, nurses that were already there opening the doors so they could get him inside. The two surgeons left the patient in their care while going to scrub in, washing in silence until Emilio joined them, a rather puzzled look on his face.

“Did I just see Zarco wandering around my hospital with a-“

“Yes,” the other two men answered in unison. “It was left, he was looking for a right…”

Pausing for a moment, the chief of surgery studied his two men carefully, as if trying to figure out if this was some kind of joke, before shaking his head to himself. “I really thought I’d seen everything. Let’s hope he finds what he’s looking for… Marc, I spoke to Ricky; you’ll assist him with what he’s doing, Aleix you’re with me. Be ready to assist either one of us if something goes wrong. Alright, gentlemen, let’s save this man’s life.”

Watching Ricky work was very different to watching Jorge but remarkably similar at the same time, still completely obvious that the resident was his student. Marc had expected to feel more at ease but the opposite turned out to be true, nerves even worse than they had been the previous day. With the safety net that was Lorenzo gone and the chief of surgery just a matter of inches away from him, the pressure had definitely increased. He was quite proud of the way he handled the situation, however, remaining cool, giving the outward appearance that he knew exactly what he was doing. So much so that he even started to believe it himself.

Things didn’t go as smoothly as they had done with Rafaella, even with Emilio Alzamora at the helm. The injuries the man had sustained were incredible, almost borderline irreparable, and he started to bleed out into his stomach, Ricky having to abandon his work when all hands on deck were needed. Marc suctioned while Emilio and Aleix struggled to find the source of the bleeding, which turned out to be an awful lot harder than the intern had expected.

The situation went from bad to worse when the patient began to crash, the dynamic completely incomparable to the ease of his surgery with Jorge, everything that could go wrong going wrong and then some. Ricky began compressions, Aleix preparing the defibrillator in case they needed it while Marc had to step up and _really_ help the chief out, promoted from his suctioning post.  

“Can you feel anything?”

“Nothing.”

“Marc, tell me if you feel anything, okay? _Anything_.”

“I don’t feel- Oh! I think I can feel a tear in the renal artery, it’s small but there’s definitely something there.”

“Okay, plug it with your finger.” Marc did as he was told, heart pounding so hard that he feared he too would go into cardiac arrest, almost laughing out loud when the rush of blood stopped, allowing Emilio to clear up the cavity. “Keep your finger there until I tell you to move, keep the pressure. This needs to happen fast or he’s going to start bleeding out again. You ready?”

 _I think I’m going to be sick._ “Ready.”

“3…2…1, _move_!” The intern moved away, Emilio taking his place with amazing dexterity, everything a blur as Aleix moved in once again, the man stable enough now that the bleeding had been stemmed for him to resume his position, aiding the chief to patch up the tear. And thankfully it held, the patient’s blood pressure coming back up once again, allowing them to continue with what they were doing. Two nurses regloved Marc so that he could go back to working with Ricky, the neurological side of the operation seeming like a walk in the park compared to the general side. The difference was such that he and Ricky were finished up when Emilio and Aleix were only two thirds of the way through, the chief inviting Marc to stay while Ricky returned to the ER. It was an offer that he couldn’t exactly refuse, regardless of whom it had come from, happy to get all the OR time he could even if it meant standing for another two to three hours.

One thing he hadn’t really thought about in medical school was how strange it would be to be in there, completely focused on the patient in front of him, minutes passing like seconds, hours like minutes, while time went by as it always did right outside the door. The fact that he walked into that room while it was still bright outside and walked out when the sun was about to rise was disorientating at best and would definitely take some time to get used to.

But it was worth it, especially when the patient went off to the intensive care unit very much alive, with a long road to recovery before him but alive nonetheless.

“Great job in there, Marquez. That could have gone _very_ differently if you hadn’t found that bleeder,” Emilio informed him, the compliment causing his heart to flutter like a teenager who just found out that their crush liked them too.

 _Try not to completely look like your life has just been made._ “Thank you, Dr Alzamora. It was a privilege to get the chance to scrub in with you.” _Was that cringey? I think that was cringey._

“Well hopefully it won’t be the last time we operate together. Although hopefully next time it will be under better circumstances…”

*****

Having finished with his second surgery of the night, Jorge retreated to the safety of the attending’s lounge to have the first of many much needed and well-earned cups of coffee, his eyes still closing every now and again despite his developed ability to run on forty five minutes of sleep.

“Jorge,” Emilio greeted his head of neuro with a smile. Despite having his own office, there was no denying that the attendings had the best coffee machine in the hospital.

“Emilio.”

“Did Ricky tell you that I operated with your puppy?”

“Hmm, he said something about it. I take it he didn’t kill anyone?”

Chuckling, refusing the younger man’s offer to use the machine first, the corner of his mouth tugged upwards. “The opposite actually. He’s exactly what I thought he would be, thankfully.”

Jorge arched an eyebrow. “He’s the guy?”

“He’s the guy. Having a photographic memory is one thing but he was _born_ to do this.”

“I’ve had no complaints so far…”

 _That’s exactly what I want to hear._ “Excellent, because I want you to let him fly solo.”

Almost spilling the cup of coffee the machine had just produced, the neuro surgeon looked at his boss as if he was a mad man. “ _Fly solo?_ You want me to let him _fly solo_? Emilio, it’s only his second shift!”

 _I’m well aware._ “Obviously not tonight. But soon. Something small, a routine procedure. I’m not asking you to give him free reign of the OR. Watch him carefully but let him do the work.”

“I really don’t think he’s ready for that. He’s an intern who’s been here for two days. I’m not sure if you’ve forgotten but the stakes in neuro are incredibly high. What if he fucks it up? Then we all get sued.”

“He’s not going to fuck it up, I’m positive. I wouldn’t ask you if I wasn’t completely sure. He’ll rise to the occasion, I promise.”

“They’ll all want to fly solo.”

“That’s up to their attendings.” _And they have more sense than that._

Jorge paused for a moment, still feeling uneasy but fully aware that a request from the chief wasn’t exactly a request… “He’s your guy? You’re certain?”

 _Excellent._ Emilio grinned, certain from the beginning that he would get the neurosurgeon to come around to the idea. “He’s my guy.”


	6. Assholes (not-so) Anonymous

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all so much! I'm having so much fun writing this so I'm glad you're enjoying! ♥ I'll try to update again tomorrow before I go away for the week so I don't think you should expect any updates until Saturday at the very earliest. Probably Sunday. But I might come home early...

“Bottoms up!”

Marc threw the liquid back his throat, almost relishing the way it burned on the way down, in dire need of some alcohol after the longest first week of a job ever. It had been a bit of a spur of the moment decision to go out, Tito overhearing the plans already made by Pol and co to go to a bar down the street from the hospital and suggesting to Marc that they do the same to let off a bit of steam.

At first he had been reluctant, the choice between alcohol and sleep not one easily made, but the former eventually won out, Marc deciding that the alcohol would _help_ with the sleep. So that’s how he found himself at a table with Tito, Stefan, Johann and Maria, shooting tequila and whiskey and schnapps and whatever else they could get their hands on.

“I don’t know if it’s just because I’m tired and stressed but that is the best tequila that I have ever tasted in my life.”

Maria scoffed, calling for the bartender who had pretty much been eating out of her hand to come over and fill them up again. “I’m pretty sure you’re not meant to like the taste of hard liquor. That’s why you down it.” The man, Isaac, the female intern greeted him by, just left the bottle this time, causing them all to give a little cheer.

The biggest surprise of the night so far had been Johann and Stefan, the two of them quickly showing that while they were quiet and kept to themselves at work, they were far from it with a bit of social lubrication, fitting in remarkably well with himself, Tito and even Maria. _I guess the_ us _vs_ them _dynamic has officially begun._ Pouring himself another measure, Marc passed the bottle on to Tito before having a look over at where the AA (Assholes (not-so) Anonymous) were seated, obnoxious as always. They had been joined by four girls wearing dresses that didn’t exactly leave a lot to the imagination, Pol with his tongue already stuck down the only brunette in the group’s throat. _Stay classy, Espargaró._

Catching him watching, Marc not caring enough to even contemplate being embarrassed, the paeds intern gave him a little wave as he continued to kiss her, the same hand then slipping in between her thighs. _Jesus Christ._ Fearing for his mental wellbeing, Marc quickly averted his eyes, downing the amber liquid in an attempt to erase that from his memory.

“You have got to be kidding me…” Maria groaned, the rest of the interns following her line of vision to the door, all immediately understanding her annoyance.

Stefan chuckled. “I’m guessing they probably feel the same way…”

Judging from the looks on some (not all) of the attendings’ faces when they caught sight of the group of interns, that was definitely true. Both groups probably having the same ‘ _great, not only do we have to see them at work_ ’ attitude. To be fair, some of them (Jorge, Casey, Dovi) saluted them, all seeming as if it was no big deal and made no difference to their night, others were indifferent, one or two seemed mildly irked. They soon got over it, looking for a table a towards the other side of the room until they spotted the other interns and obviously decided who was the better of a bad lot, locating closer to Marc’s group than Pol’s.

Although he knew he probably looked like a weirdo, Marc couldn’t look away (probably not the only one) from their bosses. Seeing them in civilian clothes instead of the dark navy blue was weird, never mind the fact that Jorge was wearing a scarf. There were one or two noticeable absences, mainly Rossi and Hayden, nobody at all really shocked by the fact that Pedrosa wasn’t there. Well, to be honest, they probably would have been moreshocked if he _had_ been there.

“It’s like seeing your teachers outside of school,” Tito shivered, “Just plain wrong.”

“Well to be fair, they have been here a lot longer than we have. We’re probably invading their space.” _Ah, Johann. Always the voice of reason._ Nobody could deny that, just shrugging before returning to their unhealthy consumption of alcohol.

 _That reminds me._ “Johann?”

“Yeah?”

“Did you ever find that leg?”

Nodding as he swallowed the mouthful of liquid, the French man put down his glass. “Yeah, but it wasn’t easy. Took me a while, especially when I found what I thought was the _right_ right leg.”

 _I am too far past sober for this._ “You found _another_ leg that _wasn’t_ the one you were looking for?”

“I was nearly certain it was. Until…”

Naturally, all present were incredibly interested in hearing this story. “Until…” Maria prompted.

Blushing a little, Johann rubbed the back of his neck. “I brought it to the operating room and… well, let’s just say that unless the man got up that morning and shaved and manicured one of his legs that it was the wrong one.”

_… Fair enough._

 

 _It’s a good thing that Pedrosa isn’t here or Espargaró, Pol, would be getting fired. Or maybe it’s a very_ very _bad thing._ All claims to sobriety long gone, Marc leaned against the bar as he waited for _Isaac_ to fill a tray with their order, looking over at where the _cool kids_ were still sat, Pol now with his tongue down the _third_ girl of the night’s throat. _Some people._

“Marc.”

Hearing his name, the intern spun around, a bit too quickly in his state, to see his attending standing at the bar next to him (scarf still firmly in place), his cheeks quickly turning pink. “Dr Lorenzo.” _I promise I don’t get this drunk when I’m working the next day…_

Looking rather amused, the surgeon gave his order to the other bartended before turning to look at the younger man once again. “No need to call me that outside the hospital… I’m not your boss here. Jorge.”

“Jorge.”

Casting a glance over at the other gang of interns, Jorge shook his head to himself. “I really wish Dani were here right now… I could do with a bit of a laugh.”

Marc really couldn’t help the fit of giggles that overcame him, absolutely mortified when his boss started to laugh too, more at him than with him. “You know he wanted- _wants-_ neuro? If I ever piss you off just remember you’re lucky to have me. It could have been way worse, you could have had Pol Espargaró.”

Studying the younger man in silent amusement for a moment, he handed over a fifty to the bartender who gave him his change before he lifted the tray with very neurosurgeon like precision and care. “I am lucky to have you. And, by the way, if I were you I wouldn’t go too crazy this weekend…”

He didn’t say another word, leaving his intern to return to his table, leaving Marc very confused and just… drunk. _I was joking. And he just seriously said that he was lucky to have me._ Realising that his order was ready and paid for and he was standing there for no particular reason, he grabbed the tray, albeit with a lot less grace than his boss, and slowly made in the direction of his group. Marc managed to make it there in the end, although not without a couple of close calls.

“What did Lorenzo have to say? Giving out to you for being drunk?”

“Huh?”

“Lorenzo. What did he want?”

 _Oh._ “Nothing really.”

 

Marc decided that he really had to question his life choices when he arrived for work on Monday morning _still_ a bit hung-over from Friday night. He scowled as his head continued to throb, nothing like Saturday (or even Sunday) morning but still enough for it to be abundantly clear that he wasn’t one hundred percent. _What’s the point of being young if I can’t quickly recover from hangovers? Is that not meant to be a thing?_ To be fair, it seemed like he wasn’t the only one, more than a few sore looking heads dotted around the place when he entered the locker room.

In fact, he was surprised Tito even made it at all considering how long he’d spent throwing up into Marc’s toilet Saturday morning after spending the night there. It had been the only time since he’d moved into the apartment that he rued not getting one with an en-suite, having to resist the urge to empty his stomach contents into the bin while his friend hogged the bathroom.

“Are you alive?”

“Barely… I’m _really_ glad it was Friday and not Saturday we decided to go out.”

“That makes all of us.”

Pol strolled into the locker room, an obvious bounce in his step, whistling, actually _whistling_ to himself. “Good morning all.”

 _Fuck off._ They mumbled their good mornings, not paying too much attention until the paeds intern took off his top to get changed, everyone’s jaws dropping simultaneously. _Mother of god._

“Christ, Pol, you had a good weekend,” Jack remarked, giving him a high five before poking one of the (many) bruises proudly displayed on his collar bone and neck.

“Was that from the blonde, brunette or redhead?” Marc wondered, rhetorically and very much sarcastically, beginning to get into his scrubs too.

Pol grinned, all sparkling white teeth and assholish. “None of those. The hot male nurse from triage. He has got some _mad_ skills-“

“Okay, _Romeo_. We really don’t need to hear about the many places you put your dick this weekend,” Maria scrunched her face in disgust.

“Well in this case I didn’t put _my_ dick _anywhere_.”

 _And this is_ really _an image that we all need on a Monday morning…_ “Okay, you can stop talking now, thank you.”

The paeds intern shrugged, removing his pants and suddenly making everyone in the vicinity very uncomfortable. “I’m just saying. I don’t discriminate. Although I do draw the line at children…”

“I’m very glad to hear that.”

The voice, not coming from any of the interns, was one that Marc recognised but couldn’t exactly place until he turned around, so happy that he did when he saw who was standing there. Dani Pedrosa, standing in the doorway, arms crossed and looking wholly unamused. _If looks could kill…_ It was the singular greatest moment of Marc’s life so far, absolutely _priceless_ , as he looked to Tito beside him, the shock enough to keep them from bursting out into a fit of laughter. _The look on Pol’s face…_ Even Jack had to supress a giggle, turning his attention to something _very interesting_ that Scott was doing beside him.

Looking absolutely _mortified_ , Pol pulled on his pants, suddenly remembering the hickeys on his neck and attempting (and failing) to cover them, Dani just rolling his eyes at his attempts, rueing the day that he’d ever met Emilio Alzamora. “Take your time. I’ll just be anywhere but here.”  

There was silence for a moment after the attending had left, just to make sure he had actually gone, before everyone in the room was in convulsions, Marc clinging to door of his locker as he struggled for breath, his stomach beginning to hurt but _so_ worth it. _Karma is a beautiful thing._

Shooting them all the mother of all glares, Pol grabbed his stethoscope and pager and quickly exited the locker room, knowing very well that keeping Dani waiting would only add insult to injury, muttering something about ‘fuckers’.

_I don’t care what anyone says. Dani Pedrosa is still my hero._

That put a bit of a spring in his step, another twenty hour shift seeming a lot better now that he was completely sure that no matter what happened there was absolutely no way that his day could be as shit as Pol Espargaró’s.


	7. You Better Get Your Armour

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Last update for a week probably :( I suppose being kinda isolated is good for soul searching and my muse(?). We'll see! I may not have my laptop but I always have my trusty little pink notebook of secrets ;) Also, my family and friends are getting suspicious of my randomly acquired knowledge (albeit limited) of neurosurgical procedures... I really don't know how to explain that one...

Jorge seemed different when Marc met up with him for rounds, not enough to really make him worry but enough to make him wonder if his drunkenness on Friday night had made him wary of him. The memory of his mentor’s light hearted warning, ‘ _If I were you I wouldn’t go too crazy this weekend…’,_ replaying over and over again in his mind. The attending asked more questions, about symptoms, conditions, possible surgical approaches, almost as if he was trying to catch his intern out, off his game after a wild weekend. Marc answered all his questions with his usual confidence, hoping it would redeem him in Jorge’s eyes. He never could have imagine the real purpose behind the interrogation, however…

“Okay, Dr Marquez, how would you proceed?”

“Well, with the extent of the pain Mr Llorente is experiencing, I think a surgical approach would be most effective… An IDET to locate the source of the pain and then a laminectomy to relieve it. Basically we would make an incision over the affected disc and remove a portion of bone- under general anaesthetic of course- to release the nerve. It’s a minimally invasive procedure and you won’t be fully active for three to six weeks but the vast majority of patients do report a very significant reduction in pain.”

Mr Llorente laughed. “I don’t care what you do as long as it stops hurting. I can’t go on like this.”

Jorge smiled and nodded, only able to imagine the amount of pain the poor guy was in, day in, day out. “Okay then. Dr Marquez is going to talk to you about the potential risks and if you still want to proceed then he will perform the procedure this evening.”

Nodding along until his mentor got to _that_ particular point, Marc coughed, _expertly_ hiding his shock, a wave of panic suddenly engulfing him. _WHAT. Did he actually just say that?? Me? Perform the procedure? Surgery. Intern. Second week._

_Help._

Excusing himself for a moment, he followed Jorge outside into the corridor, closing the door firmly behind him, not knowing how to feel about the smirk on the attending’s face. “Are you insane? _Me_? Do the surgery?”

He shrugged _._ He _shrugged._ “Like you said, it’s a minimally invasive procedure.”

“Yes. A minimally invasive procedure that _Ricky_ should be doing.”

Jorge studied him carefully for a moment, starting to wonder again if maybe Emilio had been mistaken after all, eyes narrowing slightly. “You don’t want to do it?”

 _That’s what you ask me? Of course I want to do it! I’m a surgeon, cutting people open is_ all _I want to do._ “It’s not that… You think I’m ready?”

“Are you ready?”

Really wanting to slap the older man, Marc bit down hard on his lip in an attempt to hide his frustration. _This is very serious and you’re using reverse psychology on me._ “Is not about _me_ thinking I’m ready, it’s about _you_.”

“Actually, it’s very much about you. Do I think you can do it? Yes. Do I think you’re _ready_ to do it…? You tell me. Do you think you can go into that operating room and do what you’ve been building up to for the past six years? You’re the only one who can decide that, Marc.”

 _I always thought that I would have to wait_ ages _to do my first surgery. And this guy wants me to do it_ today _…_ Sighing, Marc anxiously rubbed his face, feeling ready but completely unprepared at the same time. He wanted to do it, he wanted to do it so badly, but he knew full well that a surgeon’s ego was a dangerous thing. Just because he _could_ do it didn’t always mean he _should. But you believe in me. You let me scrub in on my first day._ “I’m ready, I’ll do it.”

Jorge watching him intently, understandably still wary. “You’re sure?”

Marc nodded, feeling a little ill. “I’m sure.” _Although maybe if you ask me in a couple of hours I might think differently…_

“Okay then. I’ll book an OR and you talk to Mr Llorente. Don’t look so scared, I’m going to be right there next to you the whole time. Your have to spread your wings at some point; you didn’t spend all those years studying to be my intern for the rest of your life. It will all come,” Jorge promised, giving the younger man a reassuring smile before excusing himself, praying to god that Emilio was right and the kid wouldn’t fuck up majorly. At least in a way that he couldn’t fix…

*****

 

“ _Are you actually seeing this shit._ ”

Pol seethed as he saw the nurse update the surgical board, scrawling _Marquez, M_ in the slot allocated to OR 3. There was no way he was doing a surgery. No way. Alzamora would never allow that.

Giving a dramatic roll of his eyes, Dani didn’t even bother looking away from the chart he was updating in front of him. “What are you complaining about now, Espargaró?”

“Marquez is doing a surgery!”

That managed to get his attention, looking up at his intern in confusion. “What?”

 _See!_ “Yeah, see his name is right there.”

 _And he’s the only Marquez, M in the hospital._ “It must be a mistake. Surely Jorge isn’t stupid enough to let the kid do a surgery of his own.”

 _I really don’t know how the bastard is doing this. I’m fucked if I’m going to let him get five seconds clear while the rest of us are fighting for second._ “If Marc is doing a surgery then I want to do one.”

Turning to look at the younger man, Dani gave him _the look._ The ‘if you don’t stop talking you will never see the inside of an OR as long as you’re here’ one that he had perfected after many years of practise. “You’re not going to touch one of my patients until I’m one hundred and fifty percent sure that you’re not going to kill someone.”

“What is going on ‘ere?” Valentino appeared behind them, disgruntled Dani never failing to amuse him.

 _Someone who actually understands._ “ _Apparently_ Jorge’s intern is flying solo today.”

The cardiologist’s eyebrows rose so much that they practically disappeared into his hairline. “Is impossible, no? Emilio will never allow it. Jorge would never allow it. Is mistake.”

“Excuse me,” Dani approached the nurse who was in charge of the board, “Who booked OR 3 for the evening?”

Looking rather confused, she flicked through her notes. “Dr Lorenzo for a laminectomy.”

“And is Dr Lorenzo performing the surgery?”

 _Can you read?_ Resisting the urge to roll her eyes at the disturbance, she checked the sheet once again just to be absolutely sure.“Dr Marquez is the named surgeon.”

_What the hell are you playing at, Jorge…_

*****

 

“We need to talk.”

Mildly amused by his head of paediatrics’ dramatic entrance, Emilio leaned back in his chair. “About?”

Not even bothering to take a seat, not exactly a social visit, Dani crossed his arms. “Jorge Lorenzo. I just thought you would like to know that his intern is performing a laminectomy tonight.”

 _I would like to know that. But not for the reasons you’re probably expecting._ Trying his hardest not to smirk, Emilio took a sip of the coffee that was on his desk before answering. “I already know.”

“You already know. And you’re letting him go ahead with this _why_?”

Arching an eyebrow, in a way that clearly said ‘I am the Chief of Surgery and you’re asking me this’, he folded his arms across his chest just as his attending had done. “We discussed it to great lengths and we both agree that Marc is ready to take the next step. I don’t see a problem.”

 _You don’t see…_ “Emilio... I can’t believe I’m hearing this. He’s an intern, a fucking child, and you’re just letting him cut someone open.”

“He’s not a child, he’s a man who has completed six years of medical training. Not everyone needs to be parented, Dani.”

Ignoring that little dig, the paeds attending continued to seethe. “Now I have Espargaró fucking on my case to do one. I have to put up with that.”

“If you don’t think he’s ready to do a surgery then don’t give him one; you’re the one making the decisions on that front. But Marc is not your responsibility, he’s Jorge’s so let him take the risk if it’s what he feels is right. It’s not going to affect you either way.”

“It’s going to affect all of us if he paralyses someone and the hospital gets sued.”

“How about you let _me_ worry about that one?”

 

*****

“Aleix!”

Wondering what Marc Marquez had done this time, his brother storming through the cafeteria like a man possessed, the older Espargaró stifled a groan, smiling apologetically at his two fellow residents. “Pol…”

“You won’t _believe_ what I just witnessed.”

“What?”

“ _Marquez_ is doing a _laminectomy_. Tonight.”

Not really seeing the problem, Ricky shrugged. “He’s scrubbed in on much bigger procedures than a laminectomy.”

 _So you of all people don’t know._ “He’s not scrubbing in, he’s actually _doing_ the procedure. It was just put up on the board. Dani’s talking to Alzamora about it at the moment, hopefully he’ll be able to put a stop to it.”

“Marc’s doing a laminectomy?” Ricky smiled, honestly glad to see that his intern was moving full steam ahead, the younger man’s potential clear from the beginning, “That’s great.”

 _The jealousy is strong in this one…_ “Yeah, I don’t really see why Emilio should put a stop to it, Jorge obviously thinks that Marc’s ready so that’s all that matters,” Alvaro offered, receiving the glare to end all glares from his intern, no stranger even after just the first week to Pol’s tendency to overreact.  

Truly incensed now, Pol grabbed his brother’s fork, stabbing a piece of fusilli with all his might. “He’s been here a week! _A week!_ And Lorenzo is all ‘yeah, sure, cut this person open… who cares if they live or die!’. He’s clearly not ready; none of us are ready! That’s why we’re interns! Dani barely lets me go near an OR, never mind actually perform a procedure of my own!”

Aleix, although he loved him, sometimes found it hard to be Pol’s older brother… this would be one of those times. “Pol-“

“It’s the eyes! I can just _tell_. He’s got Lorenzo under some kind of fucking spell-“

“Okay, stop! You need to relax a little, seriously. It’s not the end of the world that Marc is doing a surgery.”

“Right,” Alvaro agreed, Ricky nodding with him, the neuro resident doing a good job of refraining from acting like a proud parent, “Like I said before, don’t take it personally. Dani is _very_ careful with his interns. Marc’s operating on a fully consenting adult who is completely aware of the risks of the procedure. Children don’t have that luxury, their parents are making all the decisions. And Dani has to look after the child _and_ please the parents who want nothing the absolute best for them. If he doesn’t give you surgeries immediately it’s not because he’s trying to ruin your life, trust me, I would know.”

And not only did he have to deal with a serious lack of OR time, he was stuck in the middle of Bautista and Pedrosa, both at complete opposite sides of the happiness spectrum. _How you two can even work together is beyond me. But you’re incredibly hot so I’ll put up with your cheerfulness._ Saying no more, Pol decided it was best to sulk in silence since he was getting no sympathy from his brother. _Traitor._ The whole thing only worsened by the fact that as he looked up he saw Marc entering the cafeteria with Maria, the two rivals making eye contact for the briefest of moments before Pol lowered his gaze once again, clenching his jaw even more when Ricky excused himself for a moment, making his way over to the other side of the room to congratulate his intern for being God’s gift to Monlau.

_This means war._


	8. Taking Chances

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _What do you say to taking chances? What do you say to jumping off the edge?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello again! I'm so happy to be back and posting :D This chapter isn't my favourite but now that I've figured out the pairings (more or less...) I'm really looking forward to writing the next couple of chapters. Thanks for all your support, comments and kudos so far! Love you all ♥

With the IDET done and the source of the patient’s pain located, the surgery time grew nearer and nearer, each moment- second- filling Marc more and more with anxiety, self-doubt. So much so that he found himself needing a couple of minutes to himself, away from his colleagues, and even Tito’s encouragement. Time to sort his head out, convince himself that he could do it. He was ecstatic of course, how could he not be? The moment he had been preparing for since leaving school all those years ago had finally arrived, time for him to come of age… And there he was, on the verge of having some kind of breakdown. Almost like losing his virginity all over again, the nerves, the excitement, the fear… All on a much larger scale, of course, much more on the line than mere disappointment, awkwardness or embarrassment.

A deserted corridor in the belly of the hospital had become his hiding place of choice, providing space for alone time without venturing too far away from where he was meant to be and prayed that none of the other interns had the same idea. _But I need it more than they do anyway…_ He had thought about locking himself into the on call room for a couple of minutes but the fear that he would run into any of the attendings or residents was enough to deter him, Jorge having kept him sheltered from his colleagues opinions on the matter, whatever they were, and he wanted it to stay that way. 

He wasn’t asking for much, just to be alone with his thoughts for a while, flipping through all the notes he could possibly find on laminectomies, some of them Jorge’s published articles. But, although his memory was what some would describe as remarkable, there was no substitute for experience, experience that he could only acquire by actually doing the procedure.

_You can do this, you can do this, you can do this…_

*****

Jorge wasn’t sure he’d made a conscious decision to go looking for him. It had started with him just keeping an eye out for the younger man and somehow progressed to walking the hospital’s corridors, visiting all the places he’d discovered in his ten years at Monlau, hoping to catch a glimpse of his intern. He was all but about to give up hope, deciding to check _one_ last place, somewhere he’d quickly learned to avoid as it had a tendency to attract interns.

Which, in hindsight, was why he probably should have checked there first, rounding the corner before stopping in his tracks when he caught sight of Marc, siting cross legged with his back to him on a trolley, his head in his hands. Stomach dropping at the sight, Jorge wondered for a moment if Emilio’s, and by extension _his_ , request had been unfair; if they were pushing him to do too much too soon, remembering only too vividly what doing his own first surgery had been like.

It was almost impossible not to see the similarities between himself and Marc, especially if you knew what to look for. He too had been set apart from the rest of the interns, given more responsibility a lot earlier solely because of the fact that his mentor believed in him, a heavy weight to carry for a twenty four year old fresh out of university. But Jorge had risen to the challenge, just like he hoped- _prayed_ \- Marc would, and was a better surgeon because of it.

_Emilio wasn’t wrong then, let’s hope the same goes for now…_

*****

_“Jorge…”_

_“Dani…” the neuro attending smiled, knowing full well what Dani cornering him in the corridor was about, resisting the urge to chuckle at the look of complete distaste on his colleague’s face._

_“Don’t ‘Dani’ me! What the fuck is wrong with you? What kind of deal have you struck with Emilio, huh? Because there’s_ definitely _something going on here.”_

_Oh Dani, always so suspicious. “There’s no conspiracy, don’t worry. Marc is going to do this surgery, everything is going to be fine. End of story.”_

_“I want to know what’s in it for you.”_

_Not liking the paeds attending’s tone or expression, Jorge arched an eyebrow. “There’s nothing in it for me except the satisfaction of seeing my guy succeed.”_

_Far from believing the Mallorcan, Dani followed his example. “Now_ that _I don’t exactly believe…”_

_Are you seriously taking us here? “Be very careful what you’re insinuating, Dani,” Jorge warned, eyes narrowed._

_Dani held his hands up, the hint of a smirk on his face the only indication of his true intention. “I’m just saying, you two seem… close.”_

_What the fuck happened to you? “Who put that idea into your head, fucking Espargaró? Fine, if you want to act like a fucking fifteen year old girl then be my guest, just leave Marc out of it. If you took your head out of your ass for long enough you would see that everything he gets he deserves. And if you don’t like that then take it up with Emilio…” He smirked, “Oh wait, you already did.”_

*****

The sight before him was enough to sow the seeds of doubt in his mind, however, Marc’s body trembling softly trembling as if he had started to cry and for the first time Jorge really wondered if he should really call the whole thing off, accept that maybe it is too soon for the young man. But then Marc just _stopped_ , inhaling visibly before climbing to his feet once again, head tilted back, eyes fixed on the ceiling as he began to pace, hands twitching every now and again.

Suddenly he looked the picture of focus, all signs of emotion long gone, as if they just evaporated, as if he just needed to get it out of his system. And even though Jorge would admit to having been surprised by his protégé, pleasantly so, this was the first time that he had been genuinely shocked, almost envious. _The way you can just switch everything off like that..._

Marc’s lips began to move, Jorge straining to hear what he was saying, stuck between feeling bad for eavesdropping and intruding on a private moment and wanting to know more about the younger man, managing to catch the odd word here and there, enough to make a good guess at what he was saying.

_You’re talking yourself through the surgery; cut for cut, blade for blade… my approach. And you’re doing all this as if it was normal to be able to recount an article you’ve read word for word, punctuation and all._

And suddenly Jorge wasn’t worried anymore, not at all. He turned, casting one last glance back at his intern, the beginnings of a wry smile on his face, leaving Marc to do what he had to do.

*****

Feeling more determined than ever, Marc left the safety of that deserted corridor, heading straight for the operating floor the moment everything seemed to click into place within him, finding that same level of clarity that he’d had in surgery with Jorge and Emilio. Suddenly it wasn’t a matter of whether he could do it or not, it was what he needed to do to get the job done.

Jorge, who was already in the process of scrubbing in when he arrived, looked up briefly, giving the intern a small smile before returning to what he was doing. “Marquez. How are we feeling?”

“Good.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah.”

“Good. But I do have to ask one last time before we go in there… Are you ready for this?”

_I’ve gotten to a point where I understand that your asking that is not an indication of your complete lack of belief in me. So yeah, I think I’m ready._ “I’m ready.”

_That’s what I thought._ “Okay then. Just remember, “the lure of the distant and the difficult is deceptive. The great opportunity is where you are.”

_I get it… I think?_ Chuckling softly to himself as he washed his skin free of the antibacterial soap, Marc glanced up again, eyebrow cocked playfully. “Let me guess, your mentor said that one before your first time?”

Cracking a proper smile, Jorge shook his head. “No, that one I read in a self-help book when I was twenty six. Inspirational quotes are kinda my thing…”

“I would never have guessed.”

*****

“Okay, locate T 8 and 9… Good, you know what to do… ten blade, two inch incision over both… fantastic. But loosen up a bit, you’re too tense… it’s going to make your life a lot more difficult.”

Taking a deep breath, Marc willed his muscles to relax, his idea of what it would be like to be in there, scalpel in hand _a lot_ different to the reality of it, the concentration needed for the smallest of things. His heart thudded against his chest, not enough to be a distraction but definitely enough to keep him grounded, remind him that someone’s life was in his hands. _If only I could stop them from shaking…_

Frowning, the intern’s nerves obviously starting to get the better of him, which was natural, of course, but something he needed to work on, Jorge turned his eyes to the younger man once again. “You’re doing perfectly, Marc. Just keep doing what you’re doing; anticipate the difficult by managing the easy. Don’t try to be me, be _you._ Now let’s keep this going… what’s next?”

“Dissect the left and right erector spinae.”

“Okay, do it.” He watched Marc hesitate for a moment, knowing only too well that it was vital to get one clean cut for optimum recovery, which the intern obviously knew but the slight tremble in his hands would make it that little bit harder. _Come on, you’re not a shaky surgeon. I know you’re not._

Before Jorge could voice his encouragement, Marc shocked him by putting down the scalpel, so in disbelief of the action that the attending glanced up to the viewing gallery, catching Emilio’s eye, the Chief’s expression guarded and indecipherable. _No, you can’t be the one to fail. You just can’t._ “Marc, what are you-“

“I need a minute.”

_I can’t believe I have to do this._ “Okay, I’m taking over-“

“No. I just need a minute,” the younger man assured him, eyes already closed, the familiar look of concentration from when Jorge had seen him earlier on now firmly in place once again. The neurosurgeon knew he should have taken over anyway, the sceptical looks from the scrub nurses and anaesthetist saying as much, but instead he decided to give the younger man a chance, knowing Emilio would want him to. And, to be honest, Jorge wasn’t exactly ready to give up on him himself. _You get one more chance, then the game is over._

Just when he was about to say as much, Marc’s eyes opened again and he picked up the scalpel, barely giving his mentor time to react before the back muscles were dissected, as cleanly as he’d ever seen it done, and the intern was moving on to the next step of the surgery, leaving all present almost lagging behind in shock.

But there was no time to dwell on that, Jorge needed to keep up with Marc so that nothing went wrong, although if he hadn’t been certain before that he was going to succeed, he definitely was after witnessing _that_ , Marc now commanding the OR as if he was the attending and Jorge was the intern, the natural leadership that Jorge suspected his protégé to have now shining through for the world to see.

The neurosurgeon glanced up to the gallery once again, seeing Emilio make for the door, satisfied smile on his face as he glanced back before leaving them to it.

_You smug bastard._

*****

Lip bitten as he finished up the stitching, Marc waited until the thread was perfectly cut, equipment back on the tray, before breaking his concentration, the reality of what he’d just done beginning to set in. _I did it. I operated on someone and I didn’t kill or paralyse them._ He’d always imagined he’d be dignified after successfully completing his first procedure, maybe accepting the congratulatory handshake of his superior or something equally mature, but he didn’t. Instead, he laughed, laughed as if it was the key to draining every ounce of leftover tension in his body, purging him so that he was normal doctor Marc instead of serious surgeon Marc once again.

Some of the nurses looked at him as if he were mad, obviously not used to the interns… unique personality, but not Jorge, who laughed along with him, smile reaching his eyes this time. “Great job, I knew you had it in you.”

_I could kiss you right now but I will refrain from doing so because I actually like having this job. This is so surreal._ “Thank you for the opportunity. And for convincing me that I could do it.”

“I didn’t do anything, you did that all yourself.”

****

“How did it go?” Emilio wondered, smile still firmly in place as Jorge entered his office for the second time that day, now changed back into his regular scrubs, eyes red and bloodshot as they always were after several hours of extreme concentration.

_As if you don’t know._ “Better than I could have possibly imagined. Procedure is done, patient is alive… all is well. You were right, he’s something special.”

“You looked worried there for a couple of minutes…”

_You’re loving this way too much._ “You weren’t?” Jorge challenged, arching an eyebrow.

Emilio’s smile didn’t falter for a moment. “No. I knew he could do it. I seem to have a gift for picking out the diamonds among the rocks… Thank you, though. For trusting me when I asked you to take the chance.”

Pausing for a moment, wry smile on his face, Jorge headed for the door once again. “You took the chance with me, didn’t you? I thought I’d repay the favour.”


	9. Stuck on You

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have no idea what this chapter even is. I'm sorry. But I'm really enjoying writing the next one ;)

Groaning, Marc reached over to grab his ringing phone from the bedside locker, pressing it to his ear before even checking who was calling, not caring enough in the drowsy state he was in. “Hello?”

“Ah, so you’re alive!”

 _Ugh, it’s you._ “Yes, Alex, I am alive.”

“Well, I’m glad because you never answer your phone anymore.”

“That would be because you insist on ringing in the evening when I’m working. I can’t exactly pick up the phone and have a chat when I’m in the operating room.”

“Makes sense. So how’s that going for you?”

Quickly realising that there was no way he was going to get any more sleep, Marc groaned inwardly, throwing the covers off himself so that he could get up and begin his day at two o’clock in the afternoon a whole hour and a half early, feeling a little bit guilty for neglecting his brother. “Great. I did my first solo surgery the other day.”

“Ooh! Was it something cool like open heart surgery? Or a heart transplant?”

 _Have you been listening to anything I’ve been saying over the past two weeks?_ “Alex, I’m going to be a neurosurgeon, hearts are not my thing. Basically I cut holes in a guy’s spine so that he wouldn’t be in pain anymore.”

“Oh.” _Try not to sound too disappointed._ “Well I suppose cutting brains open is cool too”

The faint sound of “is that your brother?” could be heard on Marc’s end of the line and he groaned again, knowing that his shift would start before his mother let him go. He wanted to tell Alex not to put him on to her but it was too late, phone already changing hands.

“Marc?”

“Hi mama.”

“Hi baby. Now what’s this I hear about you cutting brains open? You sound tired, are you tired? They’re not working you too hard there are they? Are you eating enough?”

_Thanks, Alex… thanks a lot._

*****

Interruption seemed to be the theme of the day, Marc barely having sat down for lunch with Tito and Stefan five minutes when his pager started to sound, Jorge summoning him for a consult in the ER. “Ugh! I just want to eat my lunch, I’m starving!” Staring longingly at the plate of cheese and broccoli bake in front of him, the neuro intern rested his head over his crossed arms on the table.

More than able to empathise with that, eating something that took a back seat when you were a surgical intern, Stefan patted him on the back. “I’ll get them to put it in a take away container and I’ll leave it in your locker for you.”

 _I love you._ “Thank you. I better go before Jorge pages again. This better be something good…”

And it was. Actually, it was better than good. The single most entertaining case he’d gotten since he’d started working at Monlau, bar none. The neurological gods were surely smiling down on him…

It was remarkably quiet in the ER; Alvaro and Pol were tending to a child who looked strangely cheery for someone who’d just split his forehead open, there were a couple of cuts and minor injuries being taken care of by Maverick, and then there was Jack, sulking outside a pulled curtain. No sign of Jorge or Ricky.

“Hi, um, someone paged for a neuro consult?”

The nurse behind the desk looked him up and down for a moment, smiling to herself. “Dr Dovizioso paged, behind the curtain.”

 _Dovizioso? A neuro consult? Well that would explain the look of thunder on Miller’s face…_ “Right, okay. Thanks.”

“Good luck with that one…”

Way past intrigued at this stage, Marc made for the only hidden examination area, not sure whether he should be worried or excited about what he would see, ignoring the sneer from his fellow intern as he slipped inside the curtain. Nothing, _nothing_ , could have prepared him for what he was met with. _This is even weirder than Johann and his legs… WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK._

“Marquez,” Dovizioso smiled, warning the man and woman sharing the bed not to move about too much before coming to stand in front of them, “Yorgay is on ‘is way?”

“ _Jorge_ is here,” the neuro attending rolled his eyes as he slipped inside the curtains, eyes darting to the… patients, “and he fails to see why this requires a _neuro_ consult.”

“Have you ever heard of penis captivus?”

“Penis captivus? Yeah, I’ve heard of it. Most are of the opinion that it's a myth but there's been a few documented cases.”

“Is no myth. This is Blanca and Ignacio, they were well, obviously, engaging in intercourse when her vaginal muscles contracted around his penis, rendering him unable to… how you say, pull out. They have been like this for nearly forty five minutes. We’ve tried lube, muscle relaxants… nothing works. _That_ is why I need a neuro consult.”

 _Penis… Please tell me this is a joke._ Craning his neck, almost not believing the gynaecologist, Marc’s eyes widened when he saw that Dovizioso was in fact telling the truth, the two patients looking suitably mortified. Not that he could blame them, were he in their position he was sure that it would be the worst moment of his life. “Huh.”

“I take it that’s why Miller has been sent to the bold corner,” Jorge chuckled, brushing past Marc as he made his way around the other side of the bed, assessing the… situation for himself. “I’m Dr Lorenzo, this is Dr Marquez…” Marc gave a little awkward wave, Jorge trying his hardest not to roll his eyes at the younger man, “We’re going to get you separated, don’t worry.”

“Good, because she’s killing me!”

“I am not!”

“Ow! Stop it!”

“I can’t control it!”

_The guy’s penis is being constricted… ouch._

“Penis captivus is an involuntary contraction of the vaginal muscles, Blanca can’t control it. But it will hurt a lot less if you _stay still_ ,” looking up from the affected area once again, Jorge turned to his colleague, “Dr Dovzioso, can I have a word?”

The two attendings stepped outside the curtains once again, leaving Marc alone with the patients, wondering what he could even do in this situation except stand there and try not to gawk. _No wonder Miller got kicked off the case, he’s got all the sensitivity of a tree stump._

“I bet you’ve never seen anything like this before…” the woman chuckled, making an eeek face when the man winced in pain as a result.

 _I can safely say I haven’t._ “I’m a neuro intern, the things I usually see are… above the waist.”

“We’re probably going to be stuck here forever. Imagine that, having sex constantly for the rest of your life. Should be every guys dream… I’m probably never going to have sex again.”

 _I wouldn’t blame you._ Marc hated being so helpless but he literally couldn’t think of a single thing he could do to make the situation better except try to reassure the patients. “Dr Lorenzo is the best neurosurgeon in the country, if anyone can separate you it will be him.”

“I still don’t understand how this has anything to do with my brain…”

“It’s to do with your neuro functions, which control your muscles. We just have to find a way to get the muscles to relax and then we should be able to get you apart.”

“Promise?”

 _I’m a doctor, I can’t make promises._ “You won’t be stuck together for the rest of your lives…”

*****

“Please tell me what I’m hearing is true…” Maria pounced on him out of nowhere as he walked through the corridor, minding his own business, on the way back from checking on another of his patients before returning to Blanca and Ignacio.

 _Try not to look too delighted…_ “It’s true. Who told you?”

“Pff, the whole hospital knows at this stage. Is it true they’ve been stuck together for over an hour? In every case of penis captivus I’ve read about the couple were able to separate after approximately twenty seconds…”

 _And there lies the problem._ “Well not this one. Hopefully Jorge will have separated them by the time I get back.”

Shaking her head, looking completely envious, Maria frowned. “I swear, you are the luckiest bastard I’ve ever come across in my whole life. I would kill for a case like that.”

Not exactly sure he would consider himself lucky, the neuro intern arched an eyebrow. “You never know, it started off in obstetrics, now neuro, cardio might be next if things keep going the way they’re going. Every specialty in the hospital can have a crack.”

****

“Any luck?” Slipping back inside the curtain, after shooting very disapproving looks at personnel that seemed to have gathered in the vicinity, Marc saw instantly that the two patients were still very much stuck together, the look of discomfort on their faces even greater than when he left. _Those two deserve to have something_ really _good happen to them._

“None. The anaesthetist is on his way, we’re going to put Blanca out and hopefully that will cause the muscle to expand again. If not we’ll have to look at another method.”

They prepped her for the general anaesthetic she would be given, Jorge tasking Marc with holding onto her as the anaesthetist did his job, feeling more awkward than a doctor probably should with a mostly naked woman in his arms… even if she was attached to another man at the crotch. Waiting a couple of moments after the gas had been administered to try anything, Jorge and Dovi eventually began the process of attempting to separate them, adjusting Ignacio’s position so that he would have so leverage as they started (with the help of _a lot_ of lube just in case) pulling the woman off of him, Marc laughing in relief as there was definite movement.

He wasn’t alone; tears of joy began to trickle down the male patient’s cheeks as he was finally freed, never so happy to catch sight of his penis (albeit swollen from the constriction) in his entire life. “Yes! Thank you, thank you, _thank you_. I’m free! This is the best moment of my life!”

“Just doing our job,” Jorge chuckled, outwardly confident as usual but feeling so unbelievably relieved on the inside, fearing the rarity of the condition would prove to be a major problem, no idea what the next step would be if the anaesthesia hadn’t worked.

“Can I leave now?”

 _Excuse me?_ “What? You want to leave? What about Blanca?” Marc wondered, exchanging the briefest of glances with his mentor, both equally confused.

“We’re not a couple. It was meant to be casual… there’s nothing casual about getting stuck together in for over an hour. I’d rather not… be here when she wakes up.”

 _Wow, what an incredibly assholish thing to do._ Arching an eyebrow, not at all pleased with this turn of events but not there to comment on patients’ morals, Jorge shrugged. “I’m going to page a urologist to have a look and make sure there’s no damage done but if he gives the all clear then you’re free to leave whenever you want.”

“Good, because if I don’t get home soon my wife is going to kill me.”

“Yeah, it’s probably better if you leave then.” _Asshole._


	10. Paging Dr Rabat...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, the less I say the better. Excuse me while I go hide...

“So the girl he was stuck inside was his mistress and she didn’t even know?”

Normally, Marc didn’t make a habit of taking about patients’ personal lives with his colleagues but this one really got to him, the bastard putting himself and Jorge in a very awkward position when the poor woman had woken up, having to explain to her that he had to go back home to his _wife. And it’s not really gossiping if it’s Tito… is it?_ “Yup. Apparently it wasn’t just casual for her…”

The ortho intern frowned, swiping a bit of his friend’s cheese and broccoli that he was just now getting to eat. “That sucks. Is it bad to say that I hope she injured his penis?”

“Nope. Jorge may have told Edwards to be a little rough with him…”

“Good. I don’t like cheaters.”

“Me neither.”

*****

After eating, he returned to the pit, the interns taking it in turns to do suturing and tend to the most minor of injuries, taking over from Viñales for the second half of his shift. Busying himself organising charts on a scale of kind of urgent (heavy bleeders) to not so borderline waste of time (sprains), Marc zoned out into a world of broken noses and minor impalements, not taking much notice of the people around him.

“Marc.”

The sound almost caused him to jump three feet into the air, heart pounding as he turned around and saw Alvaro standing there, looking fairly guilty. “Sorry! I didn’t mean to scare you…”

Putting down the pen, the neuro intern smiled. “It’s okay, I kind of go into a world of my own when I’m concentrating. What’s up?”

Looking a small bit bashful, quite unusual from what Marc had seen of the paeds resident so far, Alvaro opened his mouth to speak before changing his mind and closing it again, taking a second or two more. “I heard about that case you had, kind of crazy…”

_Oh._ “Yeah, you can say that again. Bet you never see anything like that in paeds. Although, I never thought I’d see anything like that in neuro either… But we got them separated in the end.”

The older man remained silent for a moment before chuckling softly, shaking his head to himself as his cheeks turned a light shade of pink. “Sorry, that’s not what I wanted to talk to you about. I don’t know why I said that.”

_This is just a little bit strange… Just a little bit._ “Okay… What did you want to talk to me about?”

“Ummm…” the blond rubbed the back of his neck, looking flustered, causing Marc to frown, “I was just wondering- maybe- if you’re not busy- if you would like to… get a drink some time?”

If he had been drinking something at that moment, he definitely would have spit it out, the request the last thing Marc would have ever expected. _A drink? With you? Oh my god…_ Fairly sure that his mouth was opening and closing like a goldfish, seeing the embarrassment on the paediatrician’s face, he forced himself to speak, not wanting to be a complete asshole. “Like a date?”

Cheeks now scarlet, Alvaro bit his lip and shrugged. “It can be… Or not. It’s up to you.”

_Holy shit, you just asked me on a date._ You _just asked me on a date. A date. With you. The two of us. A drink. Together._ “I-“

“Alvaro, good. I was just about to page you,” the two doctors turned to see Dani standing there, Pol by his side carrying a stack of charts, “there’s a little girl in bed 2 with suspected appendicitis, can you see her?”

_Impeccable timing, Pedrosa… And the funny thing is I don’t know whether that is a good thing or a bad thing. Probably_ very _good._ Feeling let off the hook, Marc smiled, needing a bit more time before answering that one anyway. “We can continue this conversation later.”

Looking between his boss and the intern, Alvaro nodded, trying his best to smile. “Yeah, okay. Talk to you later on.”

Watching the blond team up with Pol and walk away, Marc waiting until he was completely out of sight before starting to freak out, legs almost going weak. _Oh my god, oh my god, oh my_ god.

*****

_Page: Marquez ER_

_Page: Marquez ER_

_Page: Marquez ER_

Unable to ignore his friend any more, the couple of moments he had to himself being given up in favour of going in search of the neuro intern, Tito sighed, scanning the pit for the dark brown mop of hair amongst… all the other dark brown mops of hair. Unable to see him, he made for the nurse’s station but was stopped in his tracks by a hand suddenly grabbing him, pulling him through a random door, shutting with a bang behind him.

“Marc! What the fuck! What’s the emergency?”

“The emergency is here!”

Looking around him once again, just to be absolutely sure, Tito frowned. “I’m pretty sure there’s no emergency in the _supply closet_.”

“It’s a personal emergency…”

_A personal emergency._ “Right, so what’s the big, _personal_ emergency? Let me guess, something to do with Espargaró?”

Marc frowned, looking torn between being embarrassed and panicked. “Not Espargaró, Álvaro.”

“Álvaro?”

“Bautista! Paeds resident!”

_This is getting so confusing._ “What about him?”

“He…”

“He?”

“He just asked me out. On a date.”

_Well that is not exactly what I expected the emergency to be._ Blinking a couple of times, Tito took in the ‘yeah’ expression on the younger man’s face. “Oh. Sorry, I didn’t know you-“

“I’m not. Hence the emergency.”

“Ah.”

“Yeah.”

“So you said no?”

Marc bit down hard on his lip. “I didn’t get a chance to say anything, Pedrosa interrupted. _Thankfully._ Which is why this is an emergency because I told him we’d talk later!” _Breathe, breathe, breathe. It’s not really that big a deal… But ahh!_

_Yeah, I see the emergency._ Sighing, knowing this was going to take a little while, Tito grabbed a step ladder and sat down, inviting his new best friend to do the same. “I really don’t know where to start with this… So you’re not into guys at all?”

Pursing his lips, the neuro intern hesitated for a moment. “I’ve made out with two guys before… and I enjoyed it but I never thought of myself as…”

_So that’s what this is about._ “But you don’t have to be _gay_. Bisexuality is a thing, you know. You don’t have to like just guys and you don’t have to like just girls. Fuck, you can just go on a date with him and if you don’t like it, you don’t like it. What would you have said if Pedrosa hadn’t interrupted?”

_That’s the question._ “Honestly? I don’t know. I’m just glad he did because I really wasn’t ready to answer right then.”

“Marc, the way I look at it it’s simple. You either like him enough to give it a go once or you don’t. Do you… find him attractive?”

_Have you seen him?_ “Of course I think he’s attractive. Have you seen his eyes?”

_Okay, wasn’t expecting that._ “And you like him as a person?”

“Yeah.”

“Then fucking go out with him! As long as you don’t care that he’s a guy, no one else will. Did any of us give a damn when Espargaró was talking about being fucked by that nurse from oncology?”

_It was triage._ Marc’s eyes widened, almost choking on air. “ _Fucked?!_ ”

Unable to help himself, Tito chuckled at the look of mortification on his friend’s face. _Look at you, the blushing virgin._ “I’m not saying you have to have sex with him,” he assured him, hands held up, “I’m just saying that no one will care if you do.”

_Oh._ “Can I just do that though? Can I say fuck it and just go out with him even though I’ve never gone on a date with a guy before?”

“Would you go out with him if he was a girl?”

“Well… probably.”

“Then don’t let the fact that he’s a guy put you off. You’re young and free, it’s okay to try new things. You never know, you might even like it. But if you’re going to say yes, you have to make sure you don’t freak out when the time comes, that’s not fair.”

*****

“Dr Bautista…”

Looking up from the little girl in front of him, Alvaro searched for the source of the voice, feeling a wave of panic wash over him- though he tried his upmost not to show it- as his eyes fell on Marc, standing a couple of feet away from them. _God, I wish I could read your mind._ “Can I have a word?”

Trying to maintain his air of professionalism, he excused himself, assuring his patient that he would be back in a minute. He followed Marc, getting a little bit out of the way of everyone, the younger man finally stopping, bashful smile on his face. “About the offer…”

_You’re cruel, you know that?_ Running a hand through his hair, he laughed anxiously. “Yeah…”

_You can do this._ “I’d like to go for a drink with you,” seeing the look of genuine disbelief on his colleagues face, Marc chuckled, eyebrow cocked mischievously, “As in a date.”

“Oh! I wasn’t expecting that…” _You want to go on a date with me._

“I could tell. Sorry, it just took me a bit off guard.”

“No, don’t worry. I shouldn’t have put you on the spot like that.”

Now feeling a lot more confident, the neuro intern grinned, the blond all the more attractive now that he actually thought about it. “How else would you ask someone else on a date…?”

“Hmm, I guess that’s true…”

“So have we got a place and time for this date? Or are we going to do it in the cafeteria?” It wasn’t until the words had left his mouth that he realised that they could have another connotation, a look of horror taking place of his smile as he cringed, “I mean, have _the date_ in the cafeteria, not…”

_Oh wow. Embarrassment is cute on you._ “It’s okay, I know what you mean. We’re both working tonight, I’m on call tomorrow night… Are you free Thursday?”

_Fuck, I’m actually making plans to go on a date with you._ “I’m free Thursday.”

“Great. I was thinking that maybe we should go to a bar that _isn’t_ within walking distance of the hospital,” he chuckled, blue eyes crinkling, “If you give me your number I’ll text you on the details?”

_Smooth._ “You just want my number…” Marc chuckled, grabbing a pen from the older man’s pocket, pulling up his sleeve so that he could scrawl the digits over tanned skin, “Make sure you save that before you scrub… I might not give it to you again.” 

_Oh I definitely will._ Alvaro shrugged, feeling a whole lot lighter than he had five minutes previously, still unable to believe that he said yes. “I’m not ashamed to admit that. But I probably should get back to my patient before I have Dani wondering why I’m stopping for a chat and a flirt while I should be working…”

_A flirt._ Marvelling at how two little, innocent words could make him freak out again, Marc gave his best smile, trying not to let his slight discomfort show. _It will wear off, it’s just… new?_ “Yeah, the last thing I need is to get on Pedrosa’s bad side. I’ll talk to you later?”

“Yeah, see you later,” the blond grinned, giving a little wave before returning to his patient, the little girl eyeing him curiously.

“You look happy.”

_You’re eight._ Unable to hide his happiness, Alvaro hesitated for a moment, biting his lip before giving a little shrug. “I am happy. If I tell you something will you keep it a secret?” he asked, arching an eyebrow, knowing only too well at this stage what children responded to.

“Yes! I promise!”

“I have a date in two days.”

The little girl clapped, a gleeful expression on her face. “Yay! With that other doctor?”

_This is what I love about children. You’re eight, you don’t give a damn about sexualities._ “Yeah, his name is Marc.”

“He’s really cute! Which is good because you’re really cute too.”

_He_ is _very cute._


	11. Is This Okay?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for your amazing response to the last chapter! I'm glad that most of you are willing to give this a go so I'll try to make it worth your while. Not exactly 100% happy with this one, I don't know if I really _got it_ but it's by far the longest chapter yet so I hope I at least came close... Thank you so much as always! ♥

_I’m here, on my day off, sitting on the bed, worrying about what I’m going to wear on my date. My date, with Alvaro. Who is a guy. I’m going on a date with a man. And I… want to go? Yeah, I want to go. It’s just… ahhhh._

Feeling pretty pathetic that all of this felt like such a big deal to him, Marc put his head in his hands, beyond irritated by the fact that he could be all ‘Yeah, I’m going on a date with a guy, so what?’ one minute and ‘Oh my god this is the biggest deal ever’ the next. The truth was, despite all his bravado, he didn’t really know how to feel, the situation so foreign to him that he couldn’t really know for sure until he was sitting there in front of Alvaro.

He knew exactly what he needed to do, even though the thought of it terrified him even more than the date itself, fingers reaching out to grasp his phone, stopping just shy of it. _Don’t be such a coward._ Before he could change his mind, Marc grabbed it, keying in the number he knew off by heart, the sound of the dial tone almost making him want to put it back down again, feeling torn between wanting and not wanting him to pick up…

“Hello?”

“Hey, it’s me.”

“I’m sorry, you sound like my brother but you can’t be him because he never calls _me_.”

Expecting some kind of dig, Marc nodded to himself, rolling his eyes. “He does when he has something he needs to talk to you about.”

“It must be good! Go on so, what is it?”

 _I can’t believe I’m doing this. I’m twenty four years old and I’m acting like a thirteen year old going on their first date._ “I- I’m going on a date tonight.”

“And this requires a phone call? I can’t count the amount of dates you’ve been on! She must be special… What’s her name?”

Cringing at the use of pronoun, Marc ran his hand through his hair, scrubbing his face with his palm. _Fuck. There’s no turning back now._ “ _His_ name is Alvaro…”

 _That silence tells me all I need to know._ “O-oh!” Alex practically choked, obviously trying his best to recover quickly, “Give me a sec…” there was the distant sound of a door closing, Marc waiting very impatiently for his brother’s actual reaction, “ _His._ ”

“Yeah.”

“So- uh- you never told me that you liked guys.”

 _I never told myself either, apparently._ Squirming in his seat, lip firmly bitten, the faintest taste of copper on his tongue, he fidgeted with his free hand. “I… don’t? I don’t know, Alvaro… he’s a paeds resident- _really_ hot- and he asked me out the other day. At first I was freaking out and we were interrupted so I didn’t get to answer but then I talked to my friend and I… said yes. I want to go, I’m just kinda freaking out at the moment.”

“Wow. Okay. If you like him there isn’t really a problem, is there?”

“No but I have no idea how to act on a date with a _guy_.”

“Uh, the same way you’d act on a date with a _girl_?”

 _It’s not that simple._ “Okay, maybe I get through the date okay, but what happens when we’re leaving? Do I kiss him? Do I… go home with him? Because I don’t think I’m ready for that…”

“Is he a nice guy?”

“Yeah, really nice.”

“Then he’ll understand that you don’t want to rush into anything. Just explain it to him. As for the kissing bit… that’s up to you. You never know, you might be ripping each other’s clothes off by the date is over.”

 _I doubt that will happen…_ “I know I said yes and everything, it just… I don’t know, feels a bit strange.”

“I think you’re stressing yourself out too much. Have you ever gone for a drink with a friend? A guy friend?”

“Well, yeah.”

“Then just think of it as hanging out with a friend, simple.”

_Simple._

*****

“So you’re really not going to tell me who this mysterious date person is?” Ricky wondered, sprawled out of Álvaro’s bed as his housemate tore through his wardrobe, discarding every item of clothing he picked up, the neuro resident rolling his eyes, knowing full well that Álvaro would look good in a bin bag.

Picking up yet another shirt, stood in front of the mirror, the blond added it to the ‘no’ pile on the floor. “Nope. If it goes well I might tell you.”

“Okay, but is it someone in the hospital?”

“I’m not telling you!”

 _You’re so annoying._ “Fine. But please tell me it’s not Espargaró, Pol.”

“Pff, Aleix would kill me. Not that I’d want to go out with Pol anyway.”

 _Can't argue with you on that one._ “Álvaro?”

“Yeah?”

“Wear the blue check shirt and the black jeans.”

*****

_You can do it. You’re already here, just go inside…_

Staring at the door of the bar, people passing him, looking him up and down as if he were mental, Marc finally reached for the handle, pulling it open swiftly in case he would change his mind. It seemed to be quite busy, his eyes having to scan the room a couple of times before he spotted Álvaro, who gave a little wave, sitting in a booth in the far corner.

_He looks nervous too..._

Now very much on autopilot, Marc weaved through the people, finding himself stood in front of the older man before he even knew it. “You came.” _Wow, what an incredibly stupid thing to say._

Chuckling, Álvaro gestured for him to sit down, which he did. “I asked you out, in case you don’t remember. Surely it should be me worrying about _you_ not showing. Here,” he pushed a shot of what appeared to be tequila towards his date, “I thought you might need something to… loosen you up.”

 _I hope you’re not trying to get me drunk and take advantage of me._ “What about you?”

Biting his lip, the blond blushed. “I already had two while I was waiting. You look good by the way.”

It was now Marc’s turn to blush, feeling his colleague look him up and down, obviously liking what he was seeing, Alex’s advice paying off it seemed. “Thanks. You too.” _You look more than good, you look_ hot _._ His cheeks began to burn at the thought, prompting him to down the shot, wiggling a little in his seat as the alcohol went down.

As Marc was taking the shot, Álvaro ordered two beers from a passing barman before his eyes fell on the man in front of him once again, unable to keep from smiling at his obvious nerves. “I had a little help…”

“Yeah, me too. Well, as much help as a brother in Cervera can be…”

 _I think it’s probably best that I don’t tell you who I had help from._ “He did a good job anyway,” he assured him, grinning mischievously, “Obviously you two are close?”

“We are. Well, we _used_ to be… It’s been hard to keep in touch recently with the hours I’m working. I kinda feel like I’m neglecting him.”

“It’s hard to get a balance. I think I spoke to my parents maybe once every six weeks when I was an intern. You do get used to it as you go along though, it gets easier.”

Giving his thanks to the barman who set the drinks down in front of them, Marc took a sip, fidgeting with the bottle. “I miss him. He’s going to college here in the autumn so I think he might move into my apartment with me. I made sure I got one with a second bedroom…”

 _Wow, you’re really adorable._ The sincerity in Marc’s voice coupled with the little bashful smile on his face was enough to completely melt Álvaro, obvious from that simple statement alone how much he cared for his brother and the paeds resident couldn’t help but feel a little bit envious of what they had. “That’s really sweet. He’s lucky to have you.”

“I’m lucky to have him.”

****

"How are you finding hospital life so far?"

Chuckling to himself, Marc pursed his lips for a moment.  _Do I even have an answer to that?_ "It's... interesting, to say the least. In a good way I guess. To be honest, it's been intense; I thought I'd spend my first couple of months running up and down to the lab and now  it's the third week and I've already done my first solo surgery." 

 _As if you haven't been the talk of the hospital._ "I know all about your achievements... with Aleix for a friend and Pol for an intern I think I'm the most up to date person on the wunderkind in the hospital. And I have to say I'm impressed." 

Blushing, not really sure what to say to that, the neuro intern anxiously rubbed the bad of his neck. "Thanks. So is that the reason you decided to ask me out? My surgical prowess?" 

Álvaro's teeth raked over his bottom lip for a moment, wondering if his reply would be too brazen. "It's not you're  _surgical_ prowess I'm interested in..." he chuckled, hoping from the tone and his expression that Marc would realise it was a joke. 

Wry smile on his face, Marc pressed the top of his bottle to his lips, making a show of wrapping them around it as he took a sip, glancing up from beneath his lashes."Ah, so you want me for my body?"  _I think this is flirting?_ _  
_

Feeling relieved that his date didn't feel the need to run a mile, the resident shook his head, smiling fondly. "Don't worry, I want you for  _you_ \- your surgical prowess, your body and your mind."

_You might just have me._

 

****

“So…” arching an eyebrow, now finishing their third beer, a little bit merry but not enough to completely ruin things, Álvaro gave the other man a wry smile, “How many dates with guys have you been on before?”

Marc spluttered, bringing his hand up to his mouth to stop any liquid from leaking out as he swallowed hard before biting down on his lip once again, an ‘eek!’ expression now firmly in place. “…none…?”

 _Now I’m caught between being so happy I asked you and sorry I did._ “I guessed as much. I’m really sorry for putting you on the spot like that-“

“Don’t. I’m glad you did,” Marc admitted, trying not to seem like an awkward teenager with heart eyes, confident and comfortable enough now to admit it. Something had changed since the slightly awkward start to the night, words coming easier, body language more relaxed than stiff, learning that flirting with a guy really wasn’t that much different to flirting with a girl. He’d expected to be secretly hoping for the date to end, to go home after an hour with his sexuality very much reaffirmed, but Álvaro was intriguing, capturing his attention just as much as any woman had ever done, so easy to talk to that his fear began to melt away, eventually dissipating completely. 

Quietly confident that the date had gone well enough so far but by no means wanting to get his hopes up, Álvaro couldn’t help but look, and feel, shocked. “Really?”

“Well, yeah. I’ve really enjoyed this...” _In a way that I wouldn’t going for a drink with Tito… Whatever that means._ Knowing it was probably the cringiest thing he’d ever done but past caring, Marc moved his hand from where it had been positioned atop the table, just inches away from Álvaro’s, their fingers ‘accidentally’ brushing, and felt a jolt of electricity where their skin made contact, not knowing exactly what it meant but not caring enough to question it. Something seemed to change in the older man’s expression, his guard lowering that little bit more, and he slowly threaded their fingers together, watching Marc the whole time to make sure that it was okay, willing to let go at even the slightest look of discomfort.

“Is this okay?”

Heart now going like a freight train, the butterflies now fluttering in his stomach very clichéd but _very_ welcome, Marc nodded, tongue darting out to moisten his lips almost as a reflex as his eyes moved from Álvaro’s impossibly blue irises to his full lips, wondering when exactly he started wishing he could see if they were as soft as they looked for himself. “Perfect.”

A chuckle escaped the blond’s lips, Marc arching an eyebrow in question but powerless to keep from laughing too. “What?”

“Nothing,” Álvaro gave a shake of his head, chewing on his lip briefly, “it’s just this isn’t exactly how I expected things to go…”

 _Me neither._ “How did you expect things to go?”

“Hmm, awkwardly first and foremost, then maybe a bit of ‘I’m now going to avoid to the very best of my ability from now on’.”

Giving a little squeeze of the other man’s hand, Marc chuckled, now feeling a lot more adventurous. “So is this a happy surprise?”

 _The happiest of surprises._ “Definitely. But going back to what I asked earlier, would you consider going on _another_ date with a guy?”

“Hmm, that depends... Are we talking another date with a different guy or the same guy?”

“Would the answer be different?”

“Definitely.”

“The same.”

Grinning, Marc nodded, feeling heat beginning to pool in his abdomen, the feeling so familiar but so completely foreign at the same time. “I’d love to go on another date with you.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah.”

As much as they wanted to, they didn’t stay much longer, both working the next day. For all his bravado, leaving was something Marc was dreading a little, nervous about how it was going to go, heart hammering even more as they exited the bar, cool air almost arctic as it blew against the heat of the neuro intern’s cheeks. _Now what? Do I kiss him? Does he kiss me? Do we wait?_ All Marc knew was that he craved more contact, unfamiliarity of kissing a man when he wasn’t off his head far outweighed by the longing he felt, uncaring that his chest was flat and strong, his face with the slightest hint of stubble.

Unable to wait any longer, it was _Marc_ who leaned in first, height difference practically non-existent, lips slowly descending on Álvaro’s, relishing the sharp intake of breath from the older man before their lips met, pressed together softly for a moment before the blond’s hand moved to the back of his neck.

“Is this okay?” Marc wondered, mirroring his colleague’s words from earlier on.

“Hmm.”

He quickly decided that this was like no kiss he’d ever had before, be it with a man _or_ woman, Marc’s lips parting instinctively as Álvaro’s tongue ghosted over them, allowing him entry. His mind went completely blank, his only thought _Álvaro, Álvaro, Álvaro_ as their lips moved softly together, his fingers moving to the blond’s hair, frowning for a moment at the feeling of short rough hair beneath his fingertips instead of long soft tresses before quickly getting used to it, the bristly feeling making him _more_ eager if anything.

In another unforeseen turn of events, Álvaro was the first to pull away, causing Marc to pout at the loss of contact, their bodies still pressed together. _Why you stop kissing me?_

Chuckling at the borderline devastated look on his date’s face, Álvaro chuckled, pressing their lips together again but only briefly this time. “I think we should probably go home now.”

 _Yes, let’s go._ “Do I get to kiss you more?” Marc asked, trying to mask the dip in his confidence. _Don’t freak out, you’re doing great._

 _Oh god._ Pants now feeling uncomfortably tight, the semi innocence in the younger man’s, almost completely black in the darkness, Álvaro almost groaned, needing to put some space between them. “I meant I go home to my apartment and you go home to yours.”

Marc tried his best not to look like a kicked puppy as a feeling of rejected began creeping in. “Oh.”

 _Fuck. Now you think I don’t want you._ “No, not ‘oh’,” the paeds resident smiled sadly, taking the younger man’s face in his hands once again, “I’m not taking you home with me tonight not because I don’t want to, but because I know I shouldn’t. You’re not ready for that. And I’m not saying that because I think I know better than you or whatever, it’s because I’ve been there before- thinking because kissing the guy turned me on that I was ready to go further. I definitely wasn’t and that’s not something I want _you_ to experience, especially not with me. You need to go home and lie in bed awake or whatever and go over it in your head when things have calmed down a little, see how you feel then.”

 _I feel like I don’t care that you’re a man. Or maybe I_ do _care that you’re a man, but in a good way. I feel like if you were a girl we’d be fucking already._ “I like you.”

“I like you too but if you like me you’re still going to like me tomorrow and the day after. There’s no rush.”

 _I’ll just die of sexual frustration, no biggie._ “You’re right,” _as much as it pains me to admit it_ , “As long as I don’t go to work tomorrow to find that you’ve transferred to Sevilla or anything…” the brunet chuckled, relishing the feeling of his hands on Álvaro’s chest for the last couple of minutes before they would be gone.

“I should be the one worrying about that, no?”

 _I thought so too but…_ “No.”


	12. It Only Takes a Minute

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning for some sensitive issues in this one. But thank you for everything so far!

Marc: Today is a new day and guess what?

Álvaro: What?

Marc: I still like you. But I am kind of glad we didn’t…

Álvaro: Have sex? ;)

Marc: Stop it! I’m getting ready for work. Last night was HARD

Álvaro: I’m sure it was ;) I just like to make you blush

Marc: Hilarious. You’re not even here, how can you tell I’m blushing?

Álvaro: I can just tell! Am I wrong?

Marc: …No…

Álvaro: Exactly :D So I’m probably (definitely) going to grab my pre-shift coffee from that café up the road from the hospital, care to join? (to go, before you start worrying about timing)

Marc: Only if you promise to keep your hands to yourself ;)

Álvaro: I promise…

Marc: I don’t believe you but, yes, I would love to.

*****

“Morning,” Álvaro smiled, like an idiot, when he met Marc outside the café, leaning in for a hug.

“It’s nearly two o’clock in the afternoon,” the younger man rolled his eyes, looking around briefly to make sure there was no one they knew around. Not that he wanted to hide anything, it was just a bit early for the whole hospital to know about… whatever they had going on. “Are we back to hugs?” he pretended to pout, happy when the paeds resident took the hint and gave a dramatic sigh before leaning and pressing their lips together, more Disney film than what they had been doing last night given the time and place.

Chuckling, Álvaro shook his head to himself once they had separated again. “You’re adapting to this remarkably quickly…”

Marc gave a shrug, grin very much returning from the previous night. “I’m a modern man, it’s my prerogative to decide whether I want to kiss women or men. And I’m choosing man…” They shared another kiss before heading inside to place their order so they wouldn’t be late for work.

“I’m glad you agreed to meet me here, you know. Randomly running into each other in the hospital after last night would have been a bit… strange?”

 _Yeah, I definitely agree with you on that one._ “Definitely strange. And now that I’ve gotten a reasonable amount of kisses I may be able to fight the urge to pull you into a supply closet.”

Álvaro paid for their coffee despite the neuro intern’s protestations, wry smile in place as he pressed the cup to his lips. “Still feel free to do that.”

“Don’t be putting ideas in my head!”

“I plan on putting many ideas in your head,” the blond winked, earning a nudge from Marc, almost spilling his coffee in the process. “Speaking of which, what time do you finish your shift tomorrow?”

“Eight I think?”

“I’m finished at seven… I could wait around for a while and then we could go get something to eat if you want?”

“I can meet you there, you don’t have to wait.”

Smiling at the fact that that was effectively a yes, Álvaro shrugged, linking his fingers with Marc’s, again watching the younger man to see if it was okay which it seemed to be, as they walked towards the hospital, far enough away not to have to worry about running into anyone. “It’s okay, by the time I got home it wouldn’t be worth it anyway.”

 _Date number two. Let’s hope it goes as well._ “Yeah, okay. Sounds great.”

*****

“You.”

“Me?” Marc arched an eyebrow, unable to keep from smiling at how Tito had practically just appeared behind his locker door after he had finished changing into his scrubs.

“Yes you! Is… everything okay?”

 _Wow, god bless your subtly._ “Everything is fine.”

Caught between ‘fine is all you’re going to give me?’ and ‘we’re not girls in a cringy teenage movie’, Tito observed his friend carefully. “No freak-outs?”

 _Not one._ “No freak-outs.”

*****

“Male 27, blunt force trauma to the head in a bicycle accident, unresponsive.”

 _Fuck._ “A bicycle accident?” Marc questioned, looking between the paramedic and the patient of the stretcher, unconscious but with no obvious signs of trauma.

The woman nodded, “Hit by an overtaking car. We’ve alerted the family, they’re on their way.”

 _That’s probably a good thing…_ Holding his breath, he leaned in closer to the patient to check his vitals, pulse strong but... “Fuck.” Putting his torch back in his pocket, the neuro intern wearily scrubbed his face. “Pupils unresponsive. Get a heart monitor set up and page me when the family arrives.”

“What about the ventilator?”

"Keep it going, let's talk to the family first." 

That numb feeling he always got when they lost a patient, thankfully so far less often than he managed to help them, washed over him, wishing there was at least a _little_ sign of brain activity, _something_ that he could cling to. But there wasn’t. _And it probably wasn’t even your fault._ The whole thing made him uneasy, the young age of the guy coupled with his means of transport hit too close to home with him, needing to take a couple of minutes out to do something…

He made his way back upstairs and to the locker room, stopping just as he was about to open it and take out his phone when he heard voices.

“Fuck off…”

“Feisty one, you are.”

 _What the fuck?_ Frowning, heart beating more rapidly now, Marc made sure that he stayed extra quiet as he peered around the edge of the block of lockers, eyes falling on Maria and Jack, the former backed up against the wall.

“I could go to HR and have you fired right now, this is sexual harassment.”

The OB intern merely shrugged. “You could but you won’t because you don’t want to look weak in front of all of the boys.”

“I-“ her words were cut short by Jack’s lips landing on hers, his hands reaching up to cup her cheeks but not reaching their destination as she pulled away and slapped him so hard that Marc even winced from all the way across the room. The Cardio intern then stormed out of the room, past Dovizioso who hardly cast her a second glance as he stuck his head inside, calling for his intern.

_Once again, fuck._

*****

_What am I doing? This is none of my business, right? No, it is my business. What a fucking asshole. I hope she hit him hard._

Almost wearing a hole in the floor in front of the entrance to the HR office, Marc contemplated whether or not he was doing the right thing. Maria had said it, it _was_ sexual harassment. And even if it only happened once, sexual harassment could be an isolated incident, right? And if he’d done it to her then chances are he had or would do it to someone else. _But maybe she doesn’t want me to say anything. But she’d never know it was me. I just want to do the right thing._

“Marc?”

 _Fuck._ Recognising the voice but praying he was wrong all the same, Marc turned to see none other than the Chief of Surgery standing there, a confused look on his face.

“Dr Alzamora…” _You really couldn’t have picked a worse time._

“Is… everything okay?”

He hesitated and, given that he was loitering outside the HR department, that wasn’t exactly a good sign. “Uhm… I’m not sure.” _One of the interns in your hospital is sexually harassing the only female intern. Not exactly good for the reputation._

“Okay, why don’t you join me in my office? Do you drink coffee?”

“Well, yeah but-“

Now looking completely serious, piercing blue eyes hardening slightly, Emilio stopped dead. “Marc, with all due respect, I’m in charge of this hospital. If something’s going on it falls on me, so I would very much like to know.”

_I’m sure you would._

****

“And you’re one hundred percent sure of this? I’m not saying I don’t believe you- I do- it’s just that this is a very serious accusation, you would have to be willing to make a sworn statement…”

Fidgeting with the coffee cup in his hand, feeling like the worst person in the world, Marc nodded. “I would be willing to do that.”

Emilio observed him carefully for a couple of seconds longer, the corner of his mouth tugging briefly. “Okay then. I must say, I admire your sense of morality. Many would have just turned a blind eye, said that it was none of their business…”

The intern shrugged, placing his cup back on the desk. “I just did what I thought was right.”

“It _was_ right. That’s not something I want happening in my hospital. Although, I must admit, I thought for a moment that you may be having a problem with your mentor.”

“A problem with Dr Lorenzo? No, absolutely not. It’s been a pleasure working with him so far and I don’t expect that to change any time soon.”

The older man smiled. “That’s what I like to hear.”

*****

“Dr Marquez? The patient’s family have arrived.”

 _This is turning out to be one shit day._ “Okay, wish me luck…” Grabbing the correct chart, along with all the necessary legal forms that he absolutely detested seeing, Marc made his way down to the waiting area, feeling like the biggest asshole to ever walk the plant. _He was twenty seven. Younger than Álvaro. And I have to give these people the worst news they’re hopefully going to get all year._

The waiting room was particularly busy, the intern having to ask a nurse to point out the family to him, a man and a woman in their late fifties and a younger girl… a younger _pregnant_ girl. _Please let that be the sister. Or a friend. Just not the girlfriend._

“Are you the family of Ramón Rafols?”

“We’re his parents. This is Crista, his girlfriend.”

 _Why did you have to say that?_ One look at the girl told him that she was beside herself, face drawn and pale, eyes rimmed red and bloodshot. “I’m Dr Marquez, Ramón’s doctor. Would you like to have a seat and I can explain exactly what is going on-“

“Is he okay? The woman I spoke to on the phone said he had been hit by a car.”

Taking a deep breath, his heart pounding in his chest, Marc tried his best to remain composed, wondering if there were a doctor the world over that could deliver this news with ease. “I’m afraid not. The impact caused extensive neurological damage, irreparable damage. At the moment he’s still alive but unfortunately all brain activity has ceased. If no extraordinary measures are taken, his organs will start to shut down and he will die.”

The girl, Crista, broke down completely, clinging to her boyfriend’s father as she wailed, one hand going instinctively to her bump, the mother not much better. _I am so, so sorry._

“How long… will it take?”

“A matter of hours. Usually 2-4. I’m incredibly sorry, I really wish there were something I could do but unfortunately once the brain stops functioning there’s no turning back. And I know this is terrible timing but I have to ask, would you be willing to sign a form stating that you do not want extraordinary measures taken to resuscitate him?”

“There’s no chance of him recovery.”

“None, I’m sorry.”

“Then I’ll sign.”

 _And no the even harder bit._ “Do you know if your son is an organ donor?”

“He isn’t,” the young blond managed to choke out, “But he always talked about donating his organs after… We just never thought it would be this soon.”

“Well, we just need to obtain permission from his power of attorney and there isn’t a problem.”

“Absolutely not,” the mother stated, point blank, startling the intern slightly, “I don’t want anyone to cut up my son.”

“But it’s what he wanted,” the girlfriend insisted, not more coherent, “We must respect his wishes.”

“If he wanted that he should have taken precautions, it’s our decision now and we say no.”

“Do I not have a say in this? He was-  _is_ - my boyfriend, the father of my child.”

 _And the day goes from bad to worse._ “Since you’re not married, unfortunately you don’t get a say. But what I will say is that he could help so many people, he could save so many people’s lives-“

“I’ve made a decision, doctor.”

_Yeah, but it’s the wrong one._


	13. Legalities

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Eeek! I'm nervous about this one, the reasons for which you will see... Funny story, I had actually intended for this to be a short fic, everything wrapped up in about 12 chapters but, as you can see, that's not going to happen!

“Sorry to interrupt… Ricky, can I speak to you for a moment?” Marc asked, frowning under Ávaro’s gaze as he tried to avoid eye contact with his… well, he didn’t exactly know, he just knew that given the situation and the fact that they were in the middle of the cafeteria, it wasn’t exactly a good time.

“Sure,” the resident smiled, ever gracious even when his lunch was interrupted, “Do you want to sit or do you want to go somewhere else?”

Biting down on his lip, the intern fidgeted with the hem of his scrubs. “I don’t want to put a dampner on your break…”

“It’s fine,” Álvaro assured him, an unmistakable glint in his eyes, his curiosity getting the better of him, “Sit.”

Marc did as he was told, decidedly keeping his gaze fixed on his resident and not _his_ resident. “I have a patient who was brain dead on arrival, twenty seven, unmarried but he’s got a pregnant girlfriend. She says that he was adamant that he wanted to donate his organs, but never got around to filling out the form. The mother won’t allow it, now they’ve got some kind of stand-off going on… I tried to explain that they would go to very good use but it didn’t seem to make much of a difference. Should I just leave it be or…?”

“Did the mother give a reason?”

“She doesn’t believe in organ donation.”

Pursing his lips, Ricky put down his fork, exchanging glances briefly with Aleix and Álvaro. “It is _her_ choice if she’s got power of attorney but I can have a word with them if you want, maybe come at it from a different angle? I’ve seen plenty of these cases before and sometimes they do change their minds.”

 _And now you all think I can’t even talk to a family about organ donation on my own._ “No, it’s okay, I’ll have another go. I don’t want to bother you.”

 Rolling his eyes, thankful as always that he had a very low maintenance intern, the neuro resident smiled. “Marc, I’m your resident, this is my job. Give me a couple of minutes and then I’ll come find you, okay? We can talk to them together.”

“Okay, thank you,” he said sincerely, rising to his feet, “Sorry again for interrupting.” The neuro intern left, Aleix and Ricky returning immediately to their lunches, Álvaro’s eyes not leaving the younger man until he was completely out of sight.

Biting his lip, contemplating for a moment what he was about to do, the paeds intern stood. “I’ll be back in a few minutes.”

*****

“Marc!”

A hand firmly grabbed his wrist and before he could even react, he was being pulled into an empty examination room, Álvaro closing the door behind them before he could even form a coherent sentence.

“What are you doing?”

“You looked sad, I just wanted to see what was wrong.”

 _You followed me because you thought I looked sad..._ Frowning, Marc felt himself melt into the older man’s embrace, almost needing someone to hold him up, letting his guard down for the first time since that patient came into the ER. One of Álvaro’s hands went to his hair as the intern rested his chin on the resident’s chest, letting out a whoosh of air.

“I’m having a really bad day.”

 _I guessed as much._ “Do you want to talk about it?”

 _Yes, I really do._ “My patient- my bike riding, twenty seven year old patient- came into the ER brain dead. A car overtook another car and didn’t see him. My brother rides bikes. That could have been him. I was going to call him, remind him to be careful, and then…”

“Then?” Álavaro prompted, flexing his index finger beneath the younger man’s chin so that their eyes met once again.

“Then I ended up in Emilio Alzamora’s office, drinking coffee and filing a sexual harassment report.”

His hand’s quickly left Marc’s body, taking a noticeable step back as his stomach plummeted. _Did you just say…?_ “ _What_?”

 _FUCK._ “Get back over here. It was to say that I _witnessed_ someone being sexually harassed, not that I _was_ sexually harassed. Don’t worry, you can sexually harass me all you want.”

 _Oh. Is it awful that that makes me feel_ very _relieved?_ Wrapping his arms around Marc once again, Álvaro pressed a kiss against his hair. “That’s fairly serious. I don’t know how to say this without sounding like a complete asshole but… was it bad?”

 _It’s okay, I know what you mean._ “Yeah, it definitely wasn’t just joking around. I didn’t know if I should say anything, I wanted to, but I ran into Alzamora outside the HR department of all places and I didn’t really have a choice anymore.”

“You did the right thing.”

“I thought so too but what if the person being harassed didn’t want me to say anything?”

“Well if it was as bad as you say it was, I doubt that will be the case if the person is reprimanded… They could just as easily harass someone else. And, besides, it’s the hospital that could be in trouble if the harassee decided to take a case. You did the right thing, Marc.”

Humming lowly, he wrapped his arms around Álvaro’s neck, bringing their lips together in a soft, chaste kiss. “The guy’s girlfriend is pregnant.”

Thoroughly confused, Álvaro cocked an eyebrow. “The harasser?”

“No, my patient. I just had to tell a woman that her child isn’t going to have a father.” Tears began to well in his eyes, groaning as he rubbed his face, feeling completely pathetic for getting so emotional, death part and parcel of a surgeon’s job. But it still felt just… inhumane to brush it all off, like someone else’s life didn’t mean a thing to him. “Sorry.”

Smiling sadly, the resident thumbed away the tears that trickled through those dark lashes, feeling the younger man lean further into him, the thought that they’d only had their first date the previous night seeming almost ludicrous. “Don’t apologise. You’re been on an amazing streak so far, but it was only a matter of time until you got your first really difficult case. Not medical wise, personally. And it changes you just a little bit, but that’s natural. You’re never going to stop feeling upset when things like this happen, you just learn how to deal with it.”

 _How are you so perfect? And why exactly do you want me?_ “It’s exhausting. Emotionally.”

“It’ll get better, trust me. And I’m always here if it ever gets too much.”

*****

“Álvaro!”

Jumping a little at his friend’s voice behind him, surely looking a little bit guilty seeing as Marc had just gone ahead of him a matter of seconds ago, the paeds resident turned, giving Ricky his best smile. “What’s up?”

 _Hmm, what’s up?_ “I just wanted to tell you that I’m not staying at the apartment tonight…”

 _O-kay…_ “This is not exactly something new.”

Rolling his eyes, wondering if he would have actually to spell it out for him, Ricky grinned devilishly. “I’m just saying that I’m not going to be there, you would have the place all to yourself. If you wanted to, say… invite someone over for the night…”

Unable to believe his best friend, Álvaro chuckled in disbelief, rubbing his face. “So subtle, Ricky, so subtle. I’ll be alone, don’t worry, but thanks for pointing that out.”

“Wow, look at you being all slow and steady! For once…”

 _We are far too comfortable with each other._ “Aren’t you supposed to be helping Marc talk to that family?”

 _In other words: leave me alone, I know what I’m doing._ Holding up his hands in surrender, the neuro resident chuckled, backing away slowly from the blond. “I’m just trying to be a good wingman.”

“No wingman needed! Tell him I say hi…”

“Marc?”

 _Honestly._ “You _know_ who I’m talking about!”

_I do. And you seriously think I didn’t notice you running after my intern. Oh Álvaro…_

*****

Pushing the front door open, smell of food hitting him instantly, making his stomach growl even as he removed the key from the door, Ricky chuckled to himself. “Honey, I’m home!” he joked as he often did, knowing full well that the other man hated it, making his way through the hall to the kitchen area of the loft. Sure enough, there were several containers of Chinese food on the counter; even loving his boyfriend as he did, Ricky had to admit that he wasn’t majorly into cooking, not that he had the time to do much of it anyway.

“Hey,” Jorge grinned, appearing from behind the fridge door with a bottle of wine in his hand, depositing it on the counter along with two glasses before leaning in the kiss the younger man, the domesticity of it all making him chuckle softly. “I was about to send out a search party…”

 _You of all people should know how it is._ “Marc and I had one last go at mediating between that patient’s parents and girlfriend.”

“Any luck?”

“None. I hate seeing situations like that. I mean, the girlfriend obviously knew what the guy wanted more than his parents did.”

Grimacing, Jorge started uncovering all the dishes, gesturing for his boyfriend to sit down. “It’s the law. We can’t change that.”

“Hmm, sometimes I really wish we could.”

 

They ate the way they usually, did, the fact that they were both neurosurgeons meaning they could talk about their day and know exactly what the other was talking about, offering possible solutions and opinions on things that maybe they were struggling with. But never for too long, the work-life balance something they were always conscious of, needing to divide attending and resident Jorge and Ricky from boyfriend Jorge and Ricky.

It was always a relief to come home to Jorge at night, not happening very often seeing as every second shift was a night shift for either or both of them, but it was still something he very much looked forward to, knowing or more hoping that it would only be a matter of time before he told Álvaro that he would have to look for another room mate. _Who knows, Marc might even take him up on the offer…_

After dinner they relaxed on the couch, Ricky lying with his back against Jorge’s chest, putting something on the tv more as a distraction rather than anything, both comfortable in lying there in silence for a little while. Until…

“Remember what you said earlier? About wanting to change the law?”

 _I think so?_ “Yeah, so that partners could make medical decisions?”

“Yeah.”

“What about it?”

The older man hesitated for a moment, knowing it wasn’t the most light-hearted subject to broach. “What would you do if it was me?”

Leaving out a whoosh of air, that something he’d really rather not think about, Ricky chuckled humourlessly. “I think I’d have a hard time convincing them that we’re actually together first seeing as there are three people in all of the hospital that actually know about us.”

 _Yeah but one of those is the Chief of Surgery._ “Let’s say that part wasn’t a problem… Would you let my father go against what you knew I wanted?”

“Jorge…”

“You saw what happened today when that couple didn’t have this conversation… I just don’t want that to happen to us.”

 _Jesus._ “I hope that _never_ happens to us.”

“They probably did too.”

Pursing his lips, the resident shifted so that he was now facing his boyfriend again, his relaxed posture now long gone. _You want me to be honest…_ “I’d love to tell you that I’d fight Chicho on it, and I probably would, but we’d both know I’d lose. So unless you want to sign your power of attorney over to me…”

Jorge remained silent for a moment, uncertain of what he could or should or wanted to say to that, studying the younger man’s face carefully. _Dare I…_ “I was thinking a different type of legal agreement…”

Breath catching slightly, Ricky frowned, wondering if that type of legal agreement was what he thought it was, heart rate rapidly increasing. “A different type of agreement?”

 _Am I actually saying this?_ “A more… _comprehensive_ agreement.”

 _Fuck._ “Like?” voice now very much uneven, his eyes narrowed.

“What would you say to marrying me?”


	14. The Magic Word

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for the response to the last chapter! As a token of my gratitude, he's another! Hope you like!

Ricky stared at his boyfriend in complete awe for a moment, torn between being amused and very much annoyed. _Are you serious?_ “What?” he chuckled humourlessly and very much sarcastically, “No ring?”

Now sitting up very straight, hands reaching out to take Ricky’s, Jorge smiled bashfully, kind of unable to believe the turn the night had taken himself. But this was a subject that quite often struck a chord with him, something that had been in the back of his mind since he and Ricky had become serious, together since the beginning of the younger man’s residency, not wanting to go _there_ while he was an intern.

“If you want a ring, I’ll get you a ring. I’ll get you two. I know this is not exactly the right way to do this, you know I’m not the greatest with romantic gestures but god will I try. I’ll give you the world, Ricky.”

 _Oh my god._ He blinked a couple of times, Jorge’s expression and position completely unchanging. “So this isn’t just a casual suggestion?”

 _Never._ Smiling even more, the attending shook his head, relishing the look of surprise on his boyfriend’s face. “I love you and I’ve already known for a while that you’re the one I want to spend the rest of my life with. So, no, this isn’t just a casual suggestion. Ricard Cardús, will you marry me?”

The words had barely left Jorge’s mouth when Ricky’s lips covered his, kissing him with ferocity that he’d never seen before, humming his approval as Jorge wound his arms around his boyfriend’s back, pulling their bodies closer together. “I’ll marry you.”

“You-“ another kiss “will?”

 _God, yes._ “You may be the least romantic person I’ve ever come across in my life but I still love you more than anything. So, yes, I will marry you. But your father is going to kill us both,” the resident chuckled, resting his forehead against Jorge’s, brown eyes locked with green.

“Pff, who cares about my father, I’m getting married. _We’re_ getting married.”

_So maybe I’ll be leaving Álvaro sooner than I thought…_

****

“Where are you off to?” Pol wondered, mischievous grin on his face as he looked his colleague up and down, just getting ready for his shift while Marc was obviously about to go home, dressed in a pair of dark jeans and a pale blue shirt. _Nothing like anything I’ve seen you in. Except for that night in the bar._

Rolling his eyes, well aware that it wasn’t innocent curiosity that prompted the question, Marc closed the door of his locker, already a couple of minutes late for meeting Álvaro in the lobby. “Out of here.”

“Those are date clothes.”

“That’s none of your business. Enjoy your shift,” he gave his best forced smile, making sure he had everything he needed before heading for the door. Feeling just the tiniest bit satisfied that he seemed to be getting second glances from nurses and ever doctors in different departments, Marc felt reasonably reassured that he looked good enough to go on a date, trying his best not to blush when Álvaro’s eyes widened, the resident looking him up and down and humming his appreciation.

“Wow.”

“Likewise,” Marc chuckled, feeling a lot less nervous than he had that morning but still chewed on his lip nonetheless, wanting to get out of there as soon as possible. “You ready to go?”

“ _Definitely_.”

*****

“So did you get help from your brother again?” Álvaro wondered, very much unable to keep his eyes off the younger man, even after they had already ordered, Marc blushing into his glass of wine.

“Nope, put this one together _all_ by myself. Can you imagine, matching a shirt and a pair of jeans?” he chuckled, loving the way his date’s eyes seemed to twinkle, “What about you, did you have help from your room mate?”

“Nope, Ricky wasn’t home.”

It was only once the words had left his mouth that Álvaro realised his mistake, watching Marc’s face turn to stone before his very eyes, wishing more than anything that he could rewind thirty seconds and stop himself from being such an idiot. _And this is the part where you freak out. Fuck._

 _Are you kidding me??_ “Ricky?! _Ricky_ is your roommate? _Ricky_ knows about us? My _resident_ Ricky?”

“Yes, Ricky is my roommate and, yes, he does know I’m seeing someone but I promise he doesn’t know it’s you. I wouldn’t tell him any names because I knew you wouldn’t want him to know about what we’ve got going on. I’m sorry I never told you but I didn’t want you to get spooked…”

 _Oh._ Coming off the defensive a little bit, Marc relaxed a little, feeling somewhat silly for jumping to conclusions. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to seem so… Sorry.”

Just relieved he hadn’t ruined things with his big mouth, or his lack of truth, Álvaro smiled, linking their fingers over the table. “Don’t apologise. I’m sorry. And I just want you to know, even if he did know about us, there’s absolutely no way that it would affect your work relationship. Ricky’s a really great guy.”

“I know, I’m sorry I just panicked a little bit. You two are obviously close so I don’t mind if you tell him.”  _And I can't believe I'm comfortable enough to say that._

 _Seriously?_ “You don’t? Does that mean there’s something to tell?” the paeds resident wondered hopefully, the corners of his mouth tugging upwards.

 _You’re just a little bit adorable. Just a little bit._ Heart rate increasing slightly, Marc smiled sheepishly, brushing his thumb over the back of Álvaro’s hand. It was almost impossible to believe just a couple of days previous the thought of going on a date with a man was terrifying and now… “I think there is. If that’s what you want, of course…”

 _You must be joking._ “Of course that’s what I want. But are you sure that’s what you want?”

“Well, yeah? I really like you- a lot more than I would have ever thought- and I want more than just a random date every now and then, so if that means- so if that means we’re _together_ then yeah, I want that.”

 _I can’t believe this is happening._ “Even if that means I’m your boyfriend?”

Finding it funny how that one little word could fill his stomach with butterflies, the intern chewed thoughtfully on his lip before cracking one of his best smiles. “Even if that means you’re my boyfriend.”

*****

“So…”

“So?”

Arching an eyebrow, desert just finished, Álvaro finished the end of his wine as he watched his boyfriend curiously.

Raking his teeth over his bottom lip, Marc blushed, trying his best to at least seem like he knew what he was doing. “So, what happens next? Do you have your heart set on getting back to your apartment or…?”

“Or?”

“Or,” coughing slightly, the younger man shifted in his seat, “Would you like to see mine?”

 _Oh god._ Almost semi hard at the thought of accompanying Marc home, Álvaro felt a shiver run through him. “Marc…”

“What? We’re boyfriends now, remember? Is it not part of the job description of boyfriends to go home together occasionally?”

“Yes but I don’t want to rush you-“

Marc rolled his eyes dramatically. “You’re not rushing me. If anything, I’m rushing you. And maybe I’m not ready to go the whole way but I’m _definitely_ ready to do more than kiss. As much as I love kissing you. So yes, I want you to come home with me. I _really_ want you to come home with me…”

 _How can I say no to that when you’re looking at me with those eyes?_ “I would love to.” They paid the bill quickly, both with newfound enthusiasm. Marc found himself giggling as a school girl, a bit tipsier after the wine than the other night, as Álvaro directed him towards the exit, hands firmly planted on his hips from behind as he placed a kiss on the younger man’s neck. Once outside, Marc spun pressing their lips together in a way he couldn’t inside the restaurant, grabbing hold of the resident’s collar for leverage. Reciprocating for a moment before breaking away with a low chuckled, wrapping his fingers around his boyfriend’s slender wrists.

“I think my lips could be put to better use back at your apartment, don’t you?”

“Hmm, yes I do. Let’s go.”

“Marc?”

“Hmm?”

“It’s your apartment, I don’t know the way…”

_Right you are. Oops._

Marc lead the way, walking the streets of Barcelona, Álvaro’s arm comfortably around his waist as he leaned into the older man’s side, chatting casually like Marc wasn’t already thinking about what they would do- what he wanted to do- when they got home. They were only a couple of minutes away from his place when the neuro intern caught sight of something out of the corner or his eye, sure he was seeing things for a moment, turning his head briefly expecting that to be the case…

“Fuck!”

It most definitely was _not_ nothing, the definite outline of a dark figure on the ground just at the mouth of an alley, causing Marc to stop in his tracks, stopping the older man by extension too, Álvaro almost stumbling. “Marc? What’s wrong?” Following the other man’s gaze, he soon saw the problem, immediately taking the lead as the more seasoned physician.

Turning the guy over, he saw no obvious sign of trauma, no cuts or bruises, just lying there motionless. Álvaro checked his pulse, cursing when he found none, the fact that he was still warm at least giving some hope. “He’s not breathing, call an ambulance.” Preparing himself for compressions, he lifted up the guy’s sleeve briefly, his suspicions quickly confirmed. “He’s an addict, most likely an overdose.”

Marc dialled 112, watching his colleague as he began CPR, replying calmly when the man asked what his emergency was, giving their location immediately along with the status of the patient, informing him that they were both surgeons and could handle the situation until the ambulance got there. Once the call had ended, with assurances that the ambulance would be there within the next couple of minutes, Marc kneeled next to Álvaro, the two of them alternating between mouth to mouth and chest compressions, the only communication between them about the patient, until they heard the distant sound of sirens, getting closer and closer by the second.

The paramedics loaded the man onto the gurney quickly, Marc and Álvaro somehow finding themselves swept into the ambulance, the latter continuing with compressions as they headed in the direction of… the hospital. The neuro intern would have laughed if it weren’t for the seriousness of the situation, the man’s life very much in the balance. _On my night off- on_ our _night off- we just so happened to happen across a guy on the brink of death and end up back at the hospital again._

“So you two are surgeons?” the paramedic asked, looking between the two of them as she manually ventilated the man.

 _That we are._ “Dr Bautista is a resident, I’m an intern. Tonight was our night off.”

Smiling sympathetically, she gave a humourless chuckle. “It’s not the last time it will happen.”

It wasn’t until they were no more than a minute away for Marc to realise that they’d drank the better part of two bottles of red wine over dinner, trying to sober himself up at will before they reached their destination. Eventually the ambulance came to a halt, his heart beginning to hammer again as he heard the driver get out and subsequently open the back doors, Marc hopping out before the stretcher was wheeled down the ramp, almost stopping in his tracks when he was met with a very inquisitive look from one Dani Pedrosa.

“Marquez?”

As if the sight of him wasn’t surprising enough, Marc resisted the urge to chuckle at the change in expression on the attending’s face as he caught sight of his resident, straddling the patient as he continued with the compressions, not even looking up to see his mentor.

“Álvaro?”

_This should be fun._


	15. Lending a Hand

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'll let this one speak for itself... Again, sorry about the chapter title :/ :P Oh! Rating change! Turn back now or forever hold your peace...

“What the hell happened?” Dani demanded, practically jogging alongside the gurney as they rushed through the Emergency Room, Álvaro still atop the patient, Marc jogging along with them despite the fact that he would likely be quickly pushed aside.

“Marc and I found the guy in an alley, no pulse. Arms show clear signs of drug abuse so I think we’re most likely looking at a heart attack.”

 _Marc and I?_ “Álvaro, can you keep going for another minute or two?

“Yeah, I can keep going for another couple of minutes. At least I won’t have to go to the gym this week…”

“As if you have time to go to the gym anyway,” Marc chuckled, shaking his head to himself before remembering where he was, cheeks flushing scarlet as Dani’s eyes raked over him, clearly suspicious.

“Have you two been drinking?”

_Yes, I have because I was on a date with my… boyfriend. On my night off. Sue me, Pedrosa._

“Just a couple of glasses of wine with dinner…” Álvaro answered, which Marc was very much thankful for because talking to Dani Pedrosa was scary enough when he was sober, never mind after a couple of drinks.

 _With dinner._ “How many is a couple?”

Knowing that lying was definitely something he couldn’t do, the legal ramifications if something went wrong very extensive, Álvaro sighed as Dani readied the paddles to get the guy’s heart started. “About four… or five.”

“Okay, you two are a liability. Page Espargaró,” he instructed one of the nurses, Álvaro climbing down, only briefly ceasing compressions, before the paramedics moved the patient from the gurney to a bed.

“Dani, I’m fine, okay? There’s no time for Pol to come sauntering down. We need to do this now. Marc, get a syringe of epi ready just in case.”

Not exactly thrilled about the situation but unable to deny that his resident was right nonetheless, Dani sighed. “Alright. But as soon as Espargaró comes he’s taking over.” The guy’s shirt was quickly cut off, protective sheets placed on his chest, “Charging… Clear,” Álvaro stopped what he was doing, taking a step back as the man’s body seized before them, heart monitor continuing to flat line. “Fuck. Okay, Marquez, you’re up.

Marc injected the serum straight to the guy’s heart as Dani charged the paddles once again, the picture of professionalism despite his blood alcohol level. _You better not die. I’m supposed to be at home with Álvaro (hopefully) having an orgasm and instead I’m back at work. That’s got to be for something. There has to be a reason we found you…_

“Okay, clear!”

Standing away again, bumping into the resident as he did, Álvaro’s hands going to his waist to steady him. All eyes went to the heart monitor, constantly line suddenly spiking before falling into a relatively stable rhythm, the three doctors instantly breathing a sigh of relief.

“Page for Rossi. He’s not out of the woods yet.”

“What do we have?” Pol’s voice sounded, appearing dishevelled and breathless as he skidded to a halt, shoes squeaking on against the floor. His eyes fell on Marc, a crease forming between his brows as he looked between the patient and the empty syringe in his fellow intern’s hand. “Marc? Aren’t you supposed to be on a date? What, did it not go well?” he wondered, mischievous glint in his eye as they flicked momentarily to the patient. That was until he caught sight of his resident, dressed similarly and looking very much unamused for once...

_YOU HAVE GOT TO BE FUCKING KIDDING ME._

“Espargaró, I need you to get a central line set up and get an ECG done right now.”

Eyes not leaving Marc and Álvaro, the latter looking less than pleased with him, Pol swallowed. “What about cardio?”

Feeling for nostalgic for the days when he had an intern that actually did what he said without questioning it, Dani rolled his eyes, wondering how much more of Pol Espargaró he could take before he completely lost it. _You’re arrogant_ and _lazy._ “I’ve paged. Now did it sound like I was asking?” The intern got to work, correctly assuming that was a rhetorical question while Dani gestured for the other two to step outside the curtain.

Álvaro went first, which Marc was very much thankful for, his admiration for the attending having recently turned to a sense of intimidation. He glanced back at his fellow intern briefly, just long enough to send a glare his way that said ‘you better not say a word of this anyone’. _Not that I think that’s going to happen anyway._

“Good job tonight, Álvaro. You really gave that patient a good fighting chance. Now go home, enjoy what’s left of your night off.”

The whole situation was incredibly awkward for Marc, standing there to the side while the two paediatricians spoke, thought of how different the situation could have been if he had been chosen for paeds crossing his mind momentarily. Dani’s eyes flicked to the youngest of the three at the end of his sentence, Marc biting the inside of his cheek in a desperate attempt to stop from blushing, knowing the attending was probably intelligent enough to put two and two together.

And if he didn’t, then came the excruciatingly awkward moment when Álvaro asked his other half if he was ready to go, instinctively placing his hand on the small of Marc’s back to lead him towards the exit before remembering himself and pulling it away just as quickly. Marc’s cheeks burned scarlet, upping his pace to get out of there as soon as possible, cringing at the fact that the whole hospital would most likely know in the morning that they were dating.

_But then again, I’m dating the hottest doctor in the hospital. Jokes on them._

“So…”

The cool night time air hit Marc instantly, shuddering a little bit as they stepped away from the ER entrance, the resident arching an eyebrow questioningly only to be met with a small nod and reassuring smile from the younger man. Álvaro snaked his arm around Marc’s waist, feeling relieved when he felt the intern lean into his body.

“So.”

“That was… a bit awkward.”

 _Surely I don’t know what you mean…_ “What? You mean the fact that your attending and fucking Pol Espargaró now know that we’re dating?”

Álvaro remained silent for a moment. “You’re mad.”

“I’m not mad…” stopping, the older man reacting quickly, Marc turned to face him, “I’m definitely not mad, Ál. How the fuck could either of us have predicted that we’d end up back in the hospital? That guy would have died if it wasn’t for us, that’s as good a reason for people to find out about us as any, okay?” He smiled, not caring who saw them, placing his palms flat against the older man’s cheeks before bringing their lips together.

“So what happens now? We took a bit of a detour…”

 _We certainly did…_ Butterflies materialising in his abdomen once again, he smiled bashfully, chewing on his lower lip momentarily. “My offer still stands. Come home with me?”

 _Fuck. You still want this. You’re sure._ “I would love to go home with you,” Álvaro grinned, pressing their lips together once again, for a fraction of a second longer this time.

“But we’re taking a taxi this time…”

*****

 _Thank god I cleaned up a bit before I left._ Flicking on the light switch after unlocking the door, Marc let out a sigh, only then occurring to him that the place could have been a mess. Álvaro smiled as he stepped inside, looking around briefly, the fact that he was there in his apartment alone making the younger man’s heart go like a freight train, suddenly feeling as if he’d left the oven on the whole time he’d been away. _You’re actually here. With me._

“Nice pla-“

 _Be quiet._ Grinning like a maniac, Marc pounced on him, almost knocking Álvaro backwards as he crushed their mouths together, the older man responding once the shock had subsided, pulling their bodies flush together. Their groins made contact, Marc groaning into the kiss, a feeling of need quickly building in the pit of his stomach as he clutched at Álvaro’s hair in vain, not long enough to do anything but scrape his fingers over it.

Breaking away, laughing and breathless, this new side of Marc very much a welcome surprise, Álvaro arched an eyebrow questioningly. “You’re sure you’ve never been with a man before?”

“Hmm. I’m pretty sure I would have remembered feeling like _this_.” Reattaching their lips, too impatient, the neuro intern made sure that his date knew just how okay with the whole thing he was, Álvaro’s turn to groan as he felt the bulge in Marc’s pants pressed against his.

“God, _Marc_.”

“To the bedroom?” Marc nipped at his lip, gazing up at the blond with lust filled black eyes.

 _Fuck. YES._ “Lead the way.”

Feeling a little less at ease but knowing what he wanted all the same, Marc took him by the hand, leading him the short distance to the bedroom, turning on a lamp instead of the main light. As he did that, Álvaro’s arms wrapped around him from behind, a shiver running down his spine as he felt his hardness pressing against his ass, knowing he could ask him to fuck him if he wanted to, he had that power in his hands.

_And I do want you to fuck me sometime soon, just maybe not tonight._

The brunet turned around and let his hand wander further and further south until he was palming Álvaro’s cock, just the fabric of his jeans and boxers between the two, the groans that escaped him lost in the wetness of their mouths. The sensation becoming too much, the knot in his stomach tightening a bit too much, Álvaro pulled away, reaching for the buttons of Marc’s shirt, cursing the fact that he could have worn a t shirt instead, undoing them as quickly as he could. Soon his hands were pressed against the tanned skin of the younger man’s abdomen, almost licking his lips at the sight as Marc shrugged the shirt off while he pulled the whole thing over his head without opening so much as a button, preferring to go home with a shirt minus a couple of buttons than wait a second longer.

The feeling of the blond’s bare torso against his almost burned Marc, smooth skin on even smoother skin as Álvaro’s lips made their way down his neck, finding that spot that made him involuntarily shiver and groan at the same time almost immediately, hips bucking forward in search of any bit of friction he could get. That groan soon turned to a _mewl_ , soft but urgent lips moving down over his collar bone, eventually reaching his chest where Álvaro’s tongue darted out and ran over his nipple, Marc’s fingernails digging into the blond’s back at the contact. “ _Fuck._ ”

“Has a woman ever done that to you before?” Álvaro hummed against the sensitive skin, almost chuckling at the choked sound the younger man made.

“ _No. So good._ ”

“Would you like me to continue like this? Or would you like me to do something… more for you?”

 _Oh god._ “M-more?”

Blue eyes locked with black, the resident’s sweet smile now long replaced one that could only be described as positively evil. “I can think of a better use for my lips…”

 _You’re going to be the death of me. It’ll be a miracle if I don’t just come now._ “Don’t tease, Álvaro…”

“Who said I’m teasing? One word and I can be on my knees for you… All you have to do is say yes.”

Marc somehow managed to choke the words out, fingers going to the button of his jeans before the older man bat them away, taking control. He undid the button and zipper with ease, giving Marc’s cock a couple of strokes beneath the thin layer of fabric before pulling his boxers and pants down to his knees, fully alert length springing free. Humming his approval at the sight, Álvaro made a show of sinking to his knees, eyes locked with the younger man’s the whole time, tongue eventually darting out to catch a drop of pre-come from his tip, the bare contact enough to make Marc growl. 

Content that he had permission to go further, encouragement even, he wrapped his lips around Marc’s head, the younger man’s hands flying instantly to his hair, managing to find something on top to grip on to, the slight pain only turning Álvaro on more, making him more eager to please that beautiful man. _Be as rough as you want._

He used Marc’s grip as an indicator, the tighter the better he was doing, looking for that spot, that movement that almost caused his hair to be ripped out at the roots, alternating between bobbing up and down, taking him as deep as he possibly could, and using his hands, all the time pushing him closer and closer to the edge.

“Fucking hell… _Álvaro_. _Yes… so good._ ”

Soon he reached a point where he was thinking maybe he should be worrying about hair loss, caring more about taking Marc _there_ than that, fondling his balls every now and then until the intern could hold it in no longer, crying out as he came in hot spurts down Álvaro’s throat, the resident taking every drop happily, making a show of swallowing it.

Smiling lazily, still a bit of out of it after having undoubtedly the _best_ orgasm he’d ever had in his life, Marc’s grip loosened in Álvaro’s hair, hands now holding his head tenderly, remaining there as the blond climbed to his feet again, closing the distance between their mouths, allowing Marc to taste the remnants of himself on his tongue.

“That was amazing,” the neuro intern commented, pulling away after a moment of lazy kissing, “Thank you.”

“Anytime,” Álvaro grinned, almost unable to look at the younger man for too long, warmth flooding his chest at the sight of him, unable to help but feel that this time was somehow different to the others…

Much to his surprise, Marc’s fingers popped open the button of his jeans, dipping below the waistband before he could even fully comprehend what was happening. “Marc… you don’t have to…”

Grinning devilishly, the brunet shook his head as he pulled Álvaro’s cock free. “How are either of us meant to sleep with you like this? Far too distracting…” he concluded, drawing a moan from the other man as he began to stroke his length, using the same amount of pressure he would if he were pleasuring himself, finding it easier with a man by simple virtue of the fact that he knew what felt good and what didn’t.

It wasn’t half as scary as he had originally thought, pretty much a non-issue after what Álvaro had just done to _him_ , confident in the fact that he’d probably gotten _very_ good at hand jobs in his twenty four years… Before he knew it, he was ripping an orgasm from him, fingers coated with cum as Álvaro’s eyes rolled back in his head, hips giving a last couple of frantic thrusts into his grasp before his legs almost collapsed, the feeling almost too good.

Noticing Marc was kind of at a loss as to what to do with a cum covered hand without any tissues nearby, Álvaro gently grabbed his wrist, wordlessly bringing his fingers to his mouth, lips closing around each individually as he licked Marc’s skin clean of his own seed, eyes locked with his all the while, loving how they alternated between wide and squeezed shut.

“Bed?” the blond wondered casually, as if he hadn’t just done the hottest thing Marc had ever seen in his life, blue eyes reverting nearly completely to innocent mode once again.

 _How…_ About to protest, the choice was taken away from him by the yawn that he couldn’t quite stifle, nodding silently before pulling his pants the whole way off so he wouldn’t fall over in any attempt to move. _You’re really going to be the death of me…_

_And strangely I’m okay with that._


	16. Dynamics

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not my favourite chapter... Just needed to be done before the other stuff I've planned! Sorry for the wait :/

“Marc?”

“gway.”

Smiling as the way the younger man buried his head under the pillow, Álvaro shook him again with a bit more force this time. “Marc, you need to get up.”

“Don’t.”

 _Well if that’s the way you want to play this…_ He knew exactly how to get the sleeping beauty’s attention, burying his hand under Marc’s leg,  his fingers crept beneath the soft skin until they reached their intended destination, ghosting over his half hard cock to bring him to full attention. It seemed to do the trick, ruffled head appearing once again from beneath the pillow, all parted lips and ruffled hair, about to complain before Álvaro tightened his grip, moving his wrist rhythmically.

“You don’t play fair,” the neuro intern whined, shifting from his front to his side and then onto his back, shamelessly giving Álvaro full access, hips bucking with each stroke.

 _I’ve found your weakness._ “Do you want me to stop?” the blond wondered, removing his hand once again, eyebrow arched, an evil grin on his usually angelic face.

“No! God, keep going. You can’t just leave me like this, finish what you started- _ugh_. _Fuck, Álvaro_.”

The resident chuckled once again, more than happy to please, wondering just how much Marc would enjoy it when they eventually went further if he was loving the simple things so much. If the sight of Marc’s hard leaking cock wasn’t enough to make his blood rush south, the thought that he could be buried in that ass someday soon definitely was.

Without warning, Marc reached out and grabbed his cock, making Álvaro gasp at the touch and shift closer to allow for easier access, working in tandem as their tips grazed each other every now and again, making the younger man cry out at the sensation. Álvaro chuckled, loving the fact that he could share all these first times with Marc in a way that he never got a chance to; slowly with no pressure to go any further than he wanted.

The tension built in Marc’s stomach until he felt like he was pulled so tight that he would just snap, only managing to choke out a warning before being pulled over the edge, Álvaro working him mercilessly, coating the older man’s hand in thick, hot liquid as he thrust into his grasp. Álvaro’s hand covered his as he delivered the last strategic flicks of his wrist, the resident crying out just mere seconds after him, their cum mixing in their hands as Álvaro rode out his climax, a string of expletives falling from his lips before Marc captured them.

_Can I wake up like this every day for the rest of my life?_

*****

“Álvaro, this isn’t funny! No more kisses! I have half an hour to get to work and get ready for rounds and our cars are at the hospital!”

Álvaro tightened his arms around the younger man’s front, pressing a kiss into the crook of his neck as Marc both giggled and struggled against him. “Fine, give me one more and I’ll let you go…”

“Ugh, I suppose I’ll have to…” the younger man gave a dramatic roll of his eyes, grinning at the same time, Álvaro’s grip loosening just a little so he could turn, their bodies pressed together once again. The resident’s eyes were mesmerising, he’d quickly learned, two pools of blue that had a remarkable ability to make every thought in his head leave him within a couple of seconds. 

The change in the younger man’s demeanour was evident, the way his smile faltered just a little bit but didn’t go away, more like he was thinking deeply about something. “You okay?” Álvaro wondered, brushing his thumb over Marc’s cheek.

 _Just wondering how I ended up here… but in the best way possible._ “Fine..." _Huge understatment._  "But I really do need to get going. If I leave you the keys can you lock up when you’re leaving?”

“Of course. I’ll just get dressed and head back to mine so I won’t have to go into work wearing the clothes I was seen leaving the hospital _twice_ last night in,” the blond chuckled, leaning in to press his lips against the younger man’s one last time before he had to go. “Marc?”

“Hmm?”

“If Pol gives you any hassle at all tell me and I’ll think of a fun and creative way to make his life a misery. I’m sure Dani would be on board…”

 _This may just work to my advantage…_ Smiling, Marc pressed a kiss against Álvaro’s nose. “Be careful or I may just take you up on that.”

*****

“So I hear your date with Álvaro didn’t exactly go as planned…” Tito wondered, voice suitably low as they left their patient’s room after Lorenzo and Hayden, finally getting the chance to work together on a case of crushed vertebrae.

Arching an eyebrow, Marc chuckled humourlessly. “Who told you that, Pol?”

“Nope. I heard it from Stefan; he was working the night shift and heard about the whole thing. But I don’t think he put two and two together… Anyway, that doesn’t matter. How did it go bar the unexpected trip to the hospital?”

 _Amazing. Perfect. I have been in a constant state of arousal since last night._ Unable to keep the grin of his face, Marc beamed, biting his lip as he looked down at the chart in front of him. “Great. We’ve decided we’re officially dating, which I kinda still can’t believe. I’m dating a guy, I don’t even care and it’s great.

 _Aw, look at you all smitten._ “It’s good that you’re happy. But I think I at least deserve a little bit of credit. You probably wouldn’t have even said yes in the first place if it weren’t for me.”

“You’re right…” Giggling, Marc leaned in and gave him a very exaggerated kiss on the cheek, smacking his lips, “Thank you.”

Rolling his eyes at the younger man’s brazenness, Tito chuckled. “Be careful, I might tell Álvaro I want you all to myself.”

*****

“So there’s something I probably should tell you…”

 _Here it comes…_ Trying his very best to keep from laughing out loud, eyes firmly fixed on the surgical board to help him with that, Ricky frowned. “Hmm?”

Rubbing the back of his neck, Álvaro hesitated for a moment, almost making his roommate roll his eyes. “I just don’t want you to find out from someone else because it’s a bit… well…”

“Just spit it out, Bautista. I’ve to be in surgery in half an hour.”

 _Stop it._ “The person- the _guy_ \- I’m dating is Marc… Your intern.”

 _There we go._ Ricky turned to face his colleague and best friend, a devilish grin on his face as he gasped and pretended to look at least a little bit shocked. “You don’t say!”

 _You’re a fucking asshole._ Relief flooded through Álvaro as he released the breath that he didn’t even know he had been holding, giving Ricky a well-deserved dig into the arm. “You knew!”

“Of course I knew! You’re forgetting that I can read you like a book. That whole ‘I’ll be back in a minute thing’… seriously? You think I didn’t notice you pining for my intern like a lovesick puppy? And he’s hardly been able to look me in the eye all day.”

“I was not pining like a lovesick puppy! I was merely _concerned_ for the emotional welfare of the guy that I like.”

Ricky shrugged. “Well, let’s just say that it’s not exactly news to me. Why were you so worried? Did you think I would forbid you from dating him?”

“Well he’s your intern and I’m your best friend… And Marc was a little apprehensive about you finding out at first.”

“I don’t care if he’s dating you. I would have thought you of all people would know that I’m perfectly capable of separating personal and professional lives…” For a moment Ricky felt bad, remembering it had been a couple of days since he’d gotten engaged to Jorge and still hadn’t told his best friend, the two of them agreeing that they wanted to keep it as quiet as possible. _I’ll tell you eventually…_

 _I can’t exactly argue with you on that one._ “So you’ll act as if nothing is different? He definitely doesn’t want Jorge to know anything…”

“Damn, I was going to talk to him the first chance I got and gossip about our intern’s personal life… I _suppose_ I can refrain from doing so since you’re my best friend.”

Nudging the neuro resident once again, Álvaro rolled his eyes. “Is your other half this sarcastic too?”

“Nope; I bring the sarcasm, he brings the motivational quotes. It’s a nice dynamic.”

“You’re an idiot, you know that?”

“Pff, I’m a neurosurgeon!”

“Oh, wow, you’re really going to pull _that one_ again?”

“I’m never going to stop pulling that one.”

“Don’t you have _surgery_ to do?”

*****

“He’s fucking _fucking_ Bautista!” Pol practically announced to the whole of the third floor, Aleix making his displeasure known by grabbing his brother by the wrist and pulling him over to where there were noticeably fewer people, the younger man letting out a little yelp of surprise. “What the fuck is wrong with you?”

“You need to be quiet.”

 _I… what?_ “Calm down, Jesus...”

Chuckling humourlessly, Aleix shook his head to himself, not at all surprised that his brother wouldn’t see what was wrong with what he was doing. “This thing with Marc, you’ve got to stop it. I don’t care if you don’t like him, I’ll listen to you complain about him in private but you have to stop making the whole thing so public. It’s unprofessional. You may dislike Marc but Álvaro is one of my best friends- he’s _your_ resident. Show a little respect.”

Eyes wide, Pol stared at his older brother, the guy who was also his best friend, in complete and utter shock, eyebrows knitted together as he almost waited for Aleix to declare that he had been joking. But… nothing. “Oh come on! I’m not _that_ bad.”

 _You obviously can’t hear yourself._ “Yes, you are. This is a great place to work, everyone is friendly- no one more so than Álvaro- but he is not your friend, he’s your boss. Would you gossip about Dani like that?”

“No, of course not.”

“Exactly! Stop trying to antagonise Marquez because, guess what? He doesn’t care. You’re so caught up in trying to get one over on him but he really doesn’t care. And you know I love you, okay? But this is just how it is.”

 _What?_ “I don’t _hate_ him…”

 _Are you actually kidding me?_ “You could have fooled me. All you ever do is talk about him. If I didn’t know any better I would think that you _liked_ him…” Aleix grinned mischievously, arching an eyebrow, unable to suppress the laughter as he saw the look of complete disgust on the younger man’s face.

“Fuck off! The only way I would fuck Marquez is from behind with a bag over his head.”

 _You’re lying if you say he isn’t attractive._ “Well it’s a good thing you don’t have to worry about that then, since he’s with Álvaro. Which is something you’re going to keep to yourself.”

“The whole hospital practically saw them together last night!”

“So if people already know then there’s nothing that needs telling. I’m serious, Pol. Leave them alone.”


	17. Ulterior Motives

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not sure about this one... Hope you like anyway :/

“You might want to tell mom about your boyfriend soon… She’s got this idea in her head that you’re keeping someone from her.”

Alex may have chuckled but Marc was far from laughing, frowning as he held the phone between his cheek and his shoulder, pulling his shoes on so that he would be ready to leave for the hospital when the time came. “I think I’m going to wait a _little_ bit longer before telling them that I have a boyfriend.”

“What?! You know I was joking when I said boyfriend, right? It’s official? You actually have a _boyfriend_?”

 _Oops. Maybe I never mentioned that exactly…_ “Um, yeah… Did I not tell you this?”

“No! You’ve been too busy being fifty shades of evasive.”

“Right… Well, yeah, I officially have a boyfriend now- a boyfriend that I _really_ like. So things are good.” Good was probably a bit of an understatement; great, fantastic even, was probably more like it. The thrill he got from getting to know Álvaro, experiencing a mountain of new things with him, was like nothing he’d ever felt before. It was still so surreal to look over at him sometimes and be suddenly hit by the fact that he was in a relationship with a man all over again, never failing to give him that novel feeling of nervous excitement in his stomach.

“ _Wow_. I’m happy that you’re happy with him. I guess that means you’re well and truly past your freak out stage?”

“ _Definitely_ past it.” He giggled, actually giggled to himself like an idiot, the memory of the two nights they’d spent together so far making him a little hot under the collar.

“So… does this mean that you’ve slept with him?”

 _Alex!_ Cheeks burning, Marc shifted uncomfortably in his seat, making a face at the thought of talking about his (gay) sex life with his little brother. “ _Seriously?_ ”

“I feel like this is an important thing to discuss!” _Are you going to give me the talk now, dad?_ “Are you properly bisexual or just a little bit, a cheeky kiss here and there?”

 _Properly bisexual._ “Ugh, yes! Okay? We haven’t… gone all the way but I can safely say I’m _properly_ bisexual.” _And if I’m honest with myself I might even say I’m possibly leaning one way…_ “Happy now?”

“I’m just taking an interest in your life! And I think you should have someone to talk about these things with. Speaking of which…”

Marc frowned, the words sounding pretty ominous to him. “Yes?”

“What are you up to this weekend?”

“I’m off Friday night, off Saturday, working from four o’clock in the morning on Sunday. Why?”

“I was thinking maybe I could come visit on Friday? I can go home Saturday night? If you have plans already it’s okay.”

 _And try to ignore the disappointment in your voice? Not likely._ He suddenly felt sad, the last thing he wanted was for Alex to feel like he didn’t have time for him anymore, which he could be forgiven for thinking. Marc’s time was limited, of course, he couldn’t help that but it had still been far too long since they’d seen each other, regardless. “Nope, no plans. Tito and I have kind of started this tradition where we got out for drinks with some of our colleagues if we’re off on Friday but I can definitely give it a miss this time.”

“Or you could just take me with you if you really wanted to go?”

 _I still can’t get over the fact that you, my baby brother, are now old enough for me to even consider that. When did that happen?_ His older brotherly instincts kicking in once again, Marc hesitated, chewing on his lip. “If you want to come you can. I doubt anyone would mind.” He knew they wouldn’t.

“Great! I might even get to meet this Álvaro…”

_Ah. Now I see what you’re up to…_

*****

It was remarkably quiet in the hospital, too quiet almost. One of those calm before the storm atmospheres, only he hoped that the storm would never come. With very few patients to actually attend to, Marc (for once) could actually take his break at the designated time, eating his lunch in peace in the cafeteria. He quickly decided that he did not like slow days, the adrenaline of accidents and surgeries getting him through the too long shift. But with nothing but some CAT scans that came back clear and a concussion, Marc felt a little limp.

And it took a couple of minutes but he eventually thought of something that might cheer him up…

For the duration of the short trip up to the fifth floor, the intern felt like some kind of spy or something, sneaking around in the hope that no one would notice him or where he was going, somewhere a little odd for a neurosurgeon…

_But then again if they’ve heard anything about my private life it might not be too surprising._

He eventually reached his destination, looking around once or twice, feeling a little bit self-conscious before coming to a halt in the corridor, right in front of a large window. A grin instantly spread across his face, as he peered inside, the sight of about fifty new born babies in their cots undoubtedly enough to melt even the coldest of hearts.

 _Look. Look at them all. They’re all so new, so innocent. And they’re all going to become_ people _; people like me and Alex and Álvaro…_

Marc knew he probably looked like a weirdo, standing there gawking at other people’s children when the whole hospital probably thought he should be doing something productive, but he didn’t care. Not in the slightest. People could judge him all they wanted, he was still going to admire these tiny humans, not a fault between the lot of them.

Feeling so much calmer, Marc leaned back against the wall, taking a moment to look at each boy, each girl and guess what their name was, where they would end up in life… It was astonishing, the thought that they all had a clean slate, that they had their whole lives ahead of them and none of them had any idea what that meant, none of them would even remember this moment.

“Marc?”

Instantly recognising the voice, cheeks turning scarlet, Marc made an eek face for the briefest of moment before turning to face his boyfriend. “Álvaro, hi...” As if that wasn’t bad enough, he glanced over the older man’s shoulder, only to see Dani Pedrosa watching him warily from afar, a little crease between his brows. _Great, now my boyfriend’s boss thinks I’m a weirdo…_

“What are you doing here? Are you looking for me?”

 _I wish I were…_ “Uhm… no. It was quiet and I was on my lunch break so I- I came to look at the babies.”

Álvaro’s eyebrows shot up instantly, smile not faltering for a moment although it was now tinged with just a little bit of incredulity. “You came to look at the babies?”

 _In other words, ‘Are you thinking of adopting??’_ Trying his best to smile and not look like he was in pain, Marc nodded. “It’s very... calming. I’m not a weirdo, I promise. I just love children…”

“I think it’s cute.”

 _You think it’s cute._ “You do?”

Álvaro chuckled, loving the look of relief on his boyfriend’s face, and moved minutely closer, just enough so that he could discretely hold Marc’s hand between their bodies. “Yeah, I’m a paediatrician so liking children is always a good thing in my books. Although I thought for a moment you were here to see me…”

“Dr Bautista, I should have you know that I am a _complete_ professional…”

“Oh, I’m sorry, Dr Marquez. I’ll have to make it up to you… Dinner Friday?”

 _Yes- oh._ Biting his lip, the younger man shook his head. “Can’t do Friday… My brother is coming to stay with me for the weekend. We’re going to that bar down the street with Tito and some of the other interns if you want to join… I mean, you don’t have to. We haven’t been dating long and meeting-“

“Marc?”

“Stop ranting.”

“Sorry.”

 _Never stop being adorable._ “Count me in.”

A little bit taken aback, Marc arched an eyebrow. “Count you in?”

“Yes, it’s an idiom,” he chuckled, knowing full well what the younger man meant, “I want to spend time with you, I’d like to meet your brother… Sounds like a very good way to spend Friday night.”

“Ugh, no…”

 _What?_ “No?”

“Sorry, that came out wrong. I just meant that now I have to tell my brother that he actually gets to meet you. And warn him to behave himself on pain of death.”

“Don’t worry, I’m sure I can handle him. If he’s anything like you, anyway.”

 _He’s too like me sometimes._ “I’ll remember you said that…”

*****

“Another shift down… time to go home and sleep,” Tito grinned lazily, giving a dramatic yawn and stretch of his arms, prompting Marc to throw a shoe at him. _Lucky bastard._

“Some of us aren’t so lucky. I’m on call… which means there is literally no point in even contemplating leaving the hospital. I’ll be back before I even get to my car.”

Not feeling sorry for the younger man in the slightest, Tito chucked the shoe back at him, obviously a better shot than Marc was because it hit him square in the chest. “I’ve done my time, now it’s your turn.”

“Look on the bright side…” Maverick stuck his head around the edge of his locker door, getting ready to go home himself, “I hear Bautista is on tonight too… You two could make use of the on call room,” the plastics intern winked.

Marc would have taken exception to that comment if it had come from Pol, or even Jack, but Maverick he actually had some time for, knowing that his colleague meant it more as a joke than a dig.

“Not if we beat them to it…” Jack grinned wickedly, whispering in Maria’s ear from behind, making her jump at the feeling of hot breath on her neck.

He couldn’t have known that that would turn out to be one of the biggest mistakes of his life. Before he could even register what was happening, Maria spun on her heel, sick to death of the asshole, all her restraint going out the window as her fist connected with his nose with a _very_ satisfying crunch. The force knocked him back against the lockers with a bang, the sound almost deafening in the relatively small room as about six sets of eyes suddenly turned to look at the two, most a mixture of horror, amusement and complete incredulity.

“What the actual fuck?” Pol demanded, moving to his second fiddle’s side with speed that he had hardly ever shown with _actual_ patients, looking on in horror as blood gushed from his nostrils.

“She fucking broke my nose! Bitch!”

“Yeah, I did! I’m sorry I didn’t break your jaw too!”

“You’re fucking insane!”

“Oh you have _no fucking idea_!” Maria chuckled humourlessly, looking like she was ready to go again and Marc figured it was a probably a good time to spring up from where he had been sitting and position himself between the three of them before things escalated further.

 _I’ll try to pretend I’m not happy about this…_ “Okay, let’s all calm down a bit-“

“Shut the fuck up, Marquez! She fucking _broke my nose_!”

“I’m aware-“

“What the fuck is going on in here?”

 _Oh shit._ Pretty sure his sentiments were echoed by everyone else in the room, Marc joined his colleagues in slowly turning to see a very unamused Dani Pedrosa standing in the doorway, his expression darkening further when he saw the blood covering Miller’s face and hands.

 _I fucking hate interns._ “Have you lost your minds?! This is a _hospital_ , not a fucking dodgy bar! We don’t _assault_ each other here! You better start explaining what happened or I’ll make sure that not a single one of you will see the inside of an OR for months.”

Silence descended upon the locker room but it didn’t last long at all, Jack, of course, having to vindicate himself. “She broke my nose!”

Not exactly what he had been expecting, Dani frowned, eyes darting between the cardio intern’s split knuckles and Miller’s injury. His jaw dropped open just a little bit, the assumption that it was just the boys and their testosterone obviously wrong. He remained wordless for a moment, wondering exactly what lead the girl to commit an assault causing harm. “Herrera?”

“Herrera, go with Marquez, he’ll take care of your hand,” Another voice filled the room, this one even more fearsome than Dani Pedrosa… Eyes falling on the Chief of Surgery, Maria gulped, pretty sure that having a job would be a thing of the past for her, “Viñales, set Miller’s nose. After that Mr Miller… go home. I don’t want to see you back here for at least another week. And then you’ll be working in the clinic until the board and I decide your fate.”

 _Excuse me?_ “All due respect, Emilio, I don’t think you understand-“ Dani began, frown still firmly in place as he watched his boss curiously.

“I understand perfectly, Dani. Which is why it would be advised that Mr Miller get out of my sight immediately…”

*****

Making an eek face as Maria winced when he wiped the skin with alcohol, Marc bit his lip. “Sorry. I think you’ll need some butterfly stitches but other than that there’s not much damage. You know how to effectively pack a punch, I’ll give you that,” he chuckled, grabbing some gauze from the tray to dry the excess so the strips would stick.

“How- Alzamora… I thought I was going to get the blame. He didn’t even ask for an explanation.”

 _I didn’t._ Marc pretended to be _very_ focused on the wound, trying to figure out how exactly to answer that. “He… obviously knows more than you think.”

Shaking her head to herself, Maria chuckled out of disbelief, feeling an awful lot lighter now that she knew she didn’t have to worry about Jack Miller anymore, like a weight had been lifted from her chest. “But how? I never said anything to anyone and I’m sure that _he_ didn’t.”

Letting out a small whoosh, the neuro intern hesitated for a moment before looking up to meet her eye once again. “Maybe someone saw something and told him?”

His comment could have easily been mistaken for casual but he knew from the look on Maria’s face, after she had paused to contemplate it for a moment, that she realised what he was saying. Her breath caught, eyes widening in disbelief, while tears began to well in them, threatening to spill over. “You…”

 _That face is enough to reassure me that I did the right thing._ Smiling softly, Marc shrugged. “Just a theory.”

 _Thank you so much._ “Álvaro’s a very lucky guy, you know that?”

 _My pleasure._ “I’m luckier."


	18. Just Like They Say it in The Song...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _There's loving in your eyes that pulls me closer,  
>  It's so subtle, I'm in trouble...  
>  But I'd like to be in trouble with you._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't know how I got a full nearly 2,500 word chapter out of this but I did...

“So…”

Álvaro chuckled, shaking his head as he pressed his glass of wine to his lips, legs tucked up beneath him on the couch. “You know whenever you use that word it means we’re either going to have a serious talk or do something sexual.”

 _That has kind of become a thing, hasn’t it?_ “True,” Marc conceded, following the older man’s lead and gulping down a little more wine for a bit of Dutch courage.

“So?”

“So?”

 _How much wine did you have?_ “What’s it going to be, serious talk or sexual?”

Smiling bashfully, Marc ghosted his tongue over his lips, wondering if the same alcoholic residue could be tasted on Álvaro’s too. “We’ve done stuff…”

Chuckling at the younger man’s edging, Álvaro nodded, placing his glass down on the coffee table to give Marc his full attention. “We have.”

“And the stuff we’ve done has been great.”

“It has.”

“So…” _Damn, I need to stop using that word,_ “ _So_ , I was hoping that maybe we could… go further?”

 _Right. Can’t say I wasn’t expecting that one._ “You want to go further?” he asked, for his own reassurance rather than Marc’s, loosely gripping the intern’s hand,

 _Most definitely._ “I think it’s safe to say that I know exactly what I’m in for at this stage. And I’ve pretty much been thinking about having sex with you every free moment I’ve had since the night you stayed here… so yeah.”

Feeling a stirring in his groin, the thought of having sex with Marc almost enough to make him completely hard, Álvaro shifted awkwardly in his seat. “You have lube and condoms?”

“I stocked up…”

Very impressed, the resident grinned devilishly as he removed the glass of wine from his boyfriend’s hands, placing it on the table next to his. Before Marc could ask what he was doing, Álvaro’s lips landed on his, hands cupping the younger man’s cheeks. Marc shuffled closer so their bodies were just about touching, arms wrapping around the blond’s neck for better leverage as his tongue slipped inside Álvaro’s mouth and vice versa, instantly getting the taste of wine mingled with copper.

The older man’s hands began to maraud over his torso, grabbing fistfuls of shirt in random places, touching _that_ body now one of his favourite pastimes. Smiling into the kiss as Marc noticeably shuddered, mouth moving against his with even more intensity than he thought possible, Álvaro’s fingers moved further north until they were tangled up in Marc’s hair, longer than it had been when they’d met all those weeks ago, and he tugged sharply, Marc’s finger’s digging into his back in response.

“I think we should move this to the bedroom now…”

“Well unless you want to fuck me over the coffee table I guess that’s a good idea.”

 _Fuck._ Even more blood rushing south, cock now straining painfully against the zipper of his jeans, Álvaro moaned into the hollow of the younger man’s jaw. “Don’t tempt me. I could just take you here and now if you’re not careful.”

“Feel free,” Marc dared, dangerous glimmer in his eyes, loving the things he was doing to him.

Reattaching their mouths, albeit briefly this time, Álvaro gave a little shake of his head. “No, not tonight. We’re going to do it in a bed, hopefully there’ll be plenty of time for fucking you over the coffee table, or getting carpet burn on your hands and knees…”

 _Christ…_ Afraid that he would actually come from the pure arousal, Marc got to his feet, feeling the loss of contact almost instantly, and grabbed his boyfriend’s hand, pulling him up and towards the bedroom. “You’re going to fuck me. _Now_.” Álvaro wrapped his arms around Marc’s front, lifting him up as the younger man let out a little squeak.

“I can walk, you know?”

“I know,” the blond chuckled, carrying Marc the short distance to the bedroom. The minute his feet landed on the floor at the foot of the bed, the intern spun around, hands occupying themselves with removing Álvaro’s t shirt, tugging it up over his head to reveal that torso that he’d gotten _very_ fond of recently. The older man followed suit, just so they were equal, before pressing his palms firmly against Marc’s ass, bringing their bodies flush together.  His lips began to wander down over Marc’s jaw until they reached his collar bone, sucking a bruise in a place he knew the scrubs would cover, causing the younger man to shudder and moan, finger nails digging into Álvaro’s bare back.

“Where do you want me? On my knees? On all fours? On my back…”

 _You are so up for this…_ Marc’s hot breath against his ear as he whispered in that menacing tone gave him goose bumps all over. _I’ll take you any way I can get you._ “On your back, I think that’s better for your first time. It’s not as easy as being on all fours though…”

 Heart hammering against his chest, Marc gave a little shrug, closing the distance between their lips once again, feeling as though he might combust if he didn’t get _something_ soon. “I can take it, don’t worry. I just _need_ you. Now…”

Álvaro gasped as the younger man began to palm his cock through his pants, fingers grasping clumsily at it. “Get rid of your pants and get on the bed,” he instructed, voice firm enough for Marc to arch an eyebrow in mild amusement, making a show of opening his jeans. _You’re evil…_ “Where are your… _supplies_?”

Pulling down his pants and boxers in one swift movement, Marc chuckled at how Álvaro licked his lips at the sight of his fully erect cock, all ready and bobbing. “In that bag on top of the chest of drawers…”

Completely unashamed by the fact that he’d probably never moved so quickly in his entire life, Álvaro quickly returned with a condom and the lube, only to find that his boyfriend was very obedient, already on his back with his legs spread on the bed. _You’re going to ruin me._ He threw the supplies down onto the covers, freeing himself from the constraints that were his underwear and pants before he went completely out of his mind, almost falling over himself to take off his socks before settling between his thighs.

“Ready?”

“ _Yes_. Fuck me, Ál...”

Seeing in those smouldering black eye just how serious he was, Álvaro asked no more questions. The only sound in the room the click of the lid of the tube and their breathing. He squeezed out a generous amount of lube, letting it drip down over Marc’s hole, the intern gasping at the coolness. Smiling apologetically, Álvaro placed a kiss against the inside of Marc’s thigh, fingers spreading the lube around, willing the younger man to relax a bit before sliding his index finger slowly inside. He was met by a little instinctive resistance, feeling the muscles relax a little as he gently caressed him with his finger, getting him used to the intrusion.

“Let me know if you want me to stop…”

 _If you fucking stop…_ “No,” he choked out, Álvaro’s finger getting closer and closer to his prostate, the sensation completely foreign and a little bit painful but not enough to outweigh the pleasure, “Another.”

 _You really mean business._ “Another finger?”

“I won’t break…”

 _If that’s what you want…_ Doing as he was told, he first removed the first, coating his fingers in a little more lube just to be sure before pushing two in this time, slower than the first time, the moan falling from his boyfriend mouth enough to make his cock twitch. Once again, he let Marc get accustomed to it, twisting his fingers slowly before until he was loose enough to pump them in and out. Marc’s hips bucked when he crooked his fingers, hitting that sweet spot, a low wail escaping him.

“ _Fuck…_ Do that again.”

“You like that?” the older man grinned wickedly, giving a few more pumps before doing the same again, loving the shiver it sent through the intern.

Marc’s grip tightened on the sheets, pushing against Álvaro’s fingers in an attempt to get something _more_ , the older man obviously taking the hint, adding a third finger so that he was stretched to his limit, the burning sensation stronger. “I think you know the answer to that.”

“Oh, I do…” Álvaro crooked his fingers again, Marc coming more and more undone every time he did it, his cock now leaking pre come against his stomach as he bucked his hips. “Maybe I could just do this all night? I wonder how long it would take you to come without touching your cock.”

Unable to think of anything that would be more hell-like, Marc whimpered, only so much more of this he could take before he would be _begging_ to have his boyfriend’s cock inside him. “Don’t tease…”

Humming, Álvaro removed his fingers completely, satisfied when they went in again with little resistance. “What do you think? Another finger or are you ready for me?”

“Ready- _please_ , Álvaro…”

“Okay, darling. Just give me a minute and then you can have what you want.”

The younger man let out a mewl as Álvaro removed his fingers completely, fumbling with the condom wrapper, fingers slippery, to tear it open. He discarded the foil somewhere on the floor before rolling the latex down over his length, Marc’s eyes watching his every move like a predator. “Ready?” he had to ask one last time, lining himself up so that his tip was pressing against Marc’s hole.

Raising his legs, the intern just nodded, the thought of having Álvaro inside him enough to render him unable to speak, only grunt and moan as he pushed forward, Marc’s entrance now relaxed enough to accept him, although a cock was certainly a different story to a couple of fingers. Squeezing his eyes shut, Marc grasped at the sheets, knowing the whole thing would get much better once he got accustomed to having Álvaro inside him. The older man leaned his forehead against Marc’s, wanting to wait long enough for him to be completely comfortable, content to just kiss and stare into his eyes for a little while, seeing ever flicker of emotion as he bottomed out.

 _Guess I’ve officially lost my virginity… for the second time._ “I think you’re okay to move now?”

“Sure?”

Marc nodded, cock pulsing with want, _needing_ the friction with every fibre of his being, his hips bucking in search of just that, hoping that Álvaro would take the hint. “So sure,” he hissed as the older man delivered the first thrust, pulling out completely before pushing in, in one swift movement this time. Marc’s hands moved from the sheets to Álvaro’s back, clawing at the skin as his eyes rolled back in his head, sensation overload as the resident filled him beautifully, not hitting his spot right away but coming very close. “Fuck, _Álvaro_.”

“Do you know how could you feel around my cock? You’re so fucking tight…” Fingertips digging into his boyfriend’s hips, hoping he wasn’t hurting him but unable to restrain himself, Álvaro thrust into him with every ounce of strength he had, hitting the younger man’s prostate and making him yelp, nails digging deep into his back. It was a beautiful sight, the distant look on Marc’s face, eye lids heavy and mouth parted in a delicate ‘o’ shape as he pounded into him, taking him closer and closer to the edge with every single thrust. “Tell me when you want to come. Do you want to come?”

Before he got a chance to answer, Álvaro’s lips descended on his, hand dipping between their bodies to encircle Marc’s cock. He moaned into the younger man’s mouth when the touch resulted in Marc clenching around him, hands moving from his back to his chest, ghosting over the tattoos on his collar bone. Happy with the response that he had gotten, Álvaro continued to pump his boyfriend’s cock until they were both ready to fall apart at any moment, one last synchronised movement sending them both tumbling over the edge as Marc came, hot come splattering between them, clenching down on him so hard that Álvaro came, screaming Marc’s name as he filled the condom.

“Fuck,” he managed to choke out once he could breathe again, thighs burning as he leant on the younger man’s body for support, a mixture of come and sweat between their skin.

“ _Fuck_ ,” Marc agreed, somewhere else completely, mewling when his boyfriend finally pulled out, feeling too sensitive to be touched down there. After removing and knotting the condom, chucking it across the room and into the bin, Marc too out of it to be as impressed as he should have been, Álvaro collapsed on the bed next to him, grinning at how Marc instantly curled into his side. His fingers traced the artwork on Álvaro’s skin wordlessly, the only sound filling the room coming from the rise and fall of their chests.

It was a lot to take him. Obviously, Marc had had sex before and it had been great but never like this, never leaving him feeling so disorientated yet so content at the same time. And it was as much to do with the who as the how, that feeling of warmth that he got just looking at Álvaro, blue eyes twinkling once again, something that couldn’t be ignored. Marc wondered if he would have ever even contemplated being with a man, were it not for the resident and his advances. But now that he had, he was fairly sure that it was something that would change him forever.

“Are you okay?” the older man wondered, genuinely concerned as he grabbed a tissue to wipe up the mess on his boyfriend’s stomach before it dried.

 _Are you seriously asking me that?_ “Hmm… perfect.”

 _Well at least you’re not about to run a mile, that’s always a good thing. Although I doubt that would be possible after what we just did…_ “Good,” smiling, Álvaro placed a kiss against the younger man’s hair, “I’m glad that was good for you.”

“So much better than _good_. Amazing.”

Chuckling, the resident pulled the covers up over them, grateful that they weren’t in need of changing, “I aim to please.”

“You succeed. Álvaro?”

“Yeah?”

 _Don’t say something stupid…_ “I’m glad that you took a chance on me.”

“No… that’s my line.”


	19. Rainbows and Icicles

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ask and you shall receive... ;)

“You paged…”

“Nice to see you’re prompt as always,” Jorge chuckled, stepping into the same elevator as his intern out of pure coincidence, pressing the button for the fifth floor, “We’re needed for a consult.”

 _On the fifth floor._ “Oh, okay.” The two remained silent for a moment, nothing much that could really be said between them that wouldn’t be painful small talk, Marc very thankful for that, until the attending turned to face him again, looking torn.

“I… I spoke to Emilio and I just want to say that I’m proud of you; not everyone would have had the courage to do what you did. And there’s no need to look so worried, it’s not common knowledge. Only a handful of people know what actually happened.”

Cheeks flushing slightly, Marc shrugged, trying his best to hide the fact that Jorge Lorenzo saying he was proud of him didn’t do funny things to him. “I just did what I thought was right. It’s what anyone would have done.”

“No, it’s not.”

 

Marc felt a little ambivalent as they made their way through the entrance to the Rainbow ward, all the colours and patterns making him feel a little uneasy given their specialty. They said no more until reaching the room, Jorge stepping inside first to find a little boy of no more than nine in the bed, his parents at one side and Pedrosa at the other.

“Ah! Alex, this is Dr Lorenzo, the one I told you about. He’s the best brain surgeon in Spain,” Dani smiled at the boy, _really_ smiled, almost causing Marc to keel over in shock.

“Are you? The best?” the little boy asked hopefully, big blue eyes widening.

“I am,” Jorge agreed, not usually one to fluff his own ego but willing to do so when it gave the patient confidence and hope, “Nice to meet you,” he smiled softly, shaking the young boy’s hand before doing the same with the parents, “This is Dr Marquez.”

Handing over the file to his colleague, Dani arched an eyebrow, the first glimpse of his usual self. “No Ricky?”

“Ye of little faith,” he muttered in reply, low enough for the little boy not to hear, before opening the chart to see what he was dealing with.

Dani’s eyes fell on the intern, Marc raking his teeth over his lips briefly in an attempt to ignore the way the attending was looking him up and down, clearly not pleased. “Alex has been my patient since he was _this_ ,” he gestured to around knee height, “small. He’s got a bit of fluid in the brain, nothing major, but I want you to take _really_ good care of him, okay?”

“Absolutely,” Jorge smiled, closing the file and handing it to his intern, before sitting down on the edge of the bed, “Like Dani said, you’ve just got a _tiny_ bit of fluid in your brain left over from when you were sick. It’s nothing to worry about, it just means that we’re going to have to do surgery. Good news for you is I’ve done a million of these; so I’m going to make a small incision, put in a little tube to control the fluid and then stitch you up again. Simple.”

“Will I have a scar?”

Marc chuckled at the hopeful look on the little boy’s face, always amused by their fixation with scars. “You’ll definitely have a scar. It will be covered by your hair though. Alex, I’m just going to talk to your parents outside but Dr Marquez will be happy to answer any questions you have.”

Exchanging a look with his intern, Jorge gestured for the parents to go ahead, leaving just Marc, Dani and the patient in the room. Still under the watchful eye of Pedrosa, Marc tried to go about his business, pretending that it didn’t bother him in the slightest.

“How old are you?” he smiled, checking the little boy’s IV to make sure it wasn’t uncomfortable.

“Eight.”

Chuckling at the nine fingers that were held up, Marc grinned. “And your name is Alex? My little brother’s name is Alex too. He’s nineteen but he’ll always be my baby brother.”

“I have a baby brother too! His name is Jordi but he’s just a baby.”

“I bet you take care of him though.”

Looking rather pleased with himself, Alex nodded. “Always! I give him his milk and play with him when he cries. What about you, Dr Pedrosa? Do you have a brother?”

Marc turned to look at the paediatrician, almost of out instinct, surprised to find that smile from earlier on back in place once again. _And you look like you mean it._ “I do. His name is Eric and he’s two years younger than me.”                    

“Is he a doctor too?”

“No, he’s a model.”

 _A model?! You’re a celebrated paediatric surgeon and your younger brother is a model? Obviously winning at life in that family…_ Although from the look that Marc received from his colleague it could be inferred that he didn’t want that to be public knowledge.

“Alex, do you have any questions about the surgery?” Dani asked, filling Jorge’s vacant position on the bed.

Hesitating for a moment, the little boy fidgeted with his fingers. “Will I be okay?”

“You’re going to be fine,” the attending assured him, taking his hand, “I promise. But if you’re not convinced you can ask Dr Marquez, he’s a brain surgeon just like Dr Lorenzo.”

A little taken aback by the fact that Dani actually seemed to trust his judgement, Marc had to pause for a moment when Alex posed the same question to him. “Of course, you’re going to be just fine.”

*****

“Jorge.”

“Emilio.”

“What can I do for you?” Amused at how meetings with the neuro attending had become almost a weekly ritual, the Chief of Surgery gestured for him to assume his usual position in front of his desk, as if he didn’t know the drill by this stage.

 _Here goes nothing._ Unflappable as he was, he decided to the point. “I need to talk to you about booking Wednesday next week off.”

“Right. I’m sure that I can sort that for you.”

 _That’s not all._ “Dr Cardús is going to need the day off too.”

Feeling his blood pressure rising just a little bit at being left without two thirds of his neurosurgical department, Emilio sighed. “ _Ricky_? I’m not sure I can swing that. Who’s going to do all the surgeries? Marquez? He’s fantastic but I don’t think he’s ready to head the department for the day.”

Chuckling, not expecting his boss to understand why it was necessary, Jorge shook his head. “It is very important that Ricky have the day off too.”

“May I ask what the occasion is?”

“You may. We’re getting married.”

*****

“I need to ask a favour…”

“What’s up?” Álvaro wondered, not looking away from the file that was open in front of him, enjoying the peace he was having now that Espargaró had quietened down since the Miller incident.

Ricky bit down on his lip, smiling bashfully. _You’re either going to be super happy or you’re going to kill me…_ “I know it’s a lot to ask but I was wondering if maybe you could book the afternoon off work next Wednesday…”

 _Huh?_ That got his attention, looking up to meet Ricky’s puppy brown eyes, Álvaro wondered if he’d actually heard that correctly. “Book the afternoon off work? Why?”

“Because… I may or may not be getting married and I need a witness.”

 _WHAT???_ “Wha- guh- WHAT?” the blond almost choked and definitely would have glared at the amused look on his best friend’s face were it not for the fact that he was well and truly gobsmacked.

 _Guess this probably would have been easier if I’d told you we were engaged._ “Jorge and I are getting married on Wednesday.”

“You- Jesus Christ Ricky! You can’t just come up to your best friend and say ‘hey, by the way, are you free next Wednesday? I’m kinda getting _married_ …’ When the fuck did this happen?”

“He asked me to marry him a couple of weeks ago and I said yes. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you but we wanted to keep it quiet.”

 _I’m so angry right now._ Absolutely fuming, Álvaro through his pen down on the counter. “There’s keeping it quiet and then there’s not telling your _best friend_ that you’re engaged to be married.”

“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you but it didn’t seem like that big of a deal…”

“Not- You and _Jorge_ are so infuriatingly low-key! Seriously! What’s the matter with the both of you? How can you both be so undramatic? You’re getting _married._ Like, that’s it for the both of you. It’s the two of you forever more and you just think that’s no big deal??”

Ricky did feel bad for not telling him, and if he had to do it over he definitely would change that, but Álvaro’s reaction was too funny not to laugh, because the paediatrician had known from the beginning exactly what they were like. “I’m sorry. I promise if I ever get engaged again I’ll tell you before I even say yes, okay?”

 _Fuck off._ “You’re an asshole.”   

“So what do you say?”

“Can I bring a date?”

“Álvaro, in case you haven’t realised, Jorge and I aren’t going to be here… if you bring Marc there will be no neurosurgeon in the hospital. None. Well, Jorge mentioned something about Emilio getting a temp for the day but I don’t think he would let Marc go unless _he_ was getting married too. So unless you want to pop the question, and by all means do, I take it that’s a no.”                           

Hoping that Ricky knew that he was lucky Álvaro knew him as long as he did, the blond rolled his eyes, giving into the smile that he had been fighting for a while. “I better start writing my best man’s speech…”

*****

Thankfully, the surgery went as smoothly as could be expected, Jorge making sure to do some of the best work he’d ever done, balancing that with letting Marc participate as much as possible. They had mother hen Dani to contend with for a while, watching every last move like a hawk before he loosened up a bit, obviously deciding that they weren’t going to kill his patient.

Surprisingly, it was the first time Marc had worked with the attending on an actual paediatrics case and he couldn’t deny that Dani had surprised him. While he was cold and abrupt with his colleagues, with the patients he was the polar opposite; so much so that Marc found it hard to believe that it was actually the same person. He had a gift when it came to children, that was undeniable, the way he cared for them almost as if they were his own. It was truly... inspiring.

The paeds attending stayed for post-op, once the parents had been informed that the surgery had been a great success, something else that caught the intern off guard, hovering by the bedside in the NICU while Marc went through the usual procedure of checking vitals.

“Good job today.”

 _Excuse me??_ Were it not for the fact that he actually saw the older man’s mouth move, Marc would have never believed the words had come from him. _And now I’m staring at you with my mouth open like a goldfish…_ “Thank you, it was a pleasure to operate with you.”  _I need to start coming up with less cringey lines..._

Eyes narrowing just a little, more out of curiosity than anything, Dani continued to study the intern. “It appears you’re what they say you are. And you’re great with children.”

The praise unnerving him for some reason, Marc’s eyes widened just a little, hoping it wasn’t too obvious to the other man. _Stop it before I die of shock._ “As long as what they say is good… I love kids. Actually, when I got here I wanted to be put into paediatrics. I _always_ wanted to be a paediatrician. Apparently neuro is a better fit though…”

That genuinely surprised him, finding it a little hard to believe that the boy wonder with the mad skills would have chosen paeds over neuro. “Really?”

“Yeah… I was a bit disappointed but neuro is great. And Jorge is amazing. So you get Pol,” he gave the attending a wry smile before jotting down some figures on the patient’s chart.

 _You and Álvaro make a lot more sense now._ “Well if it’s any consolation you seem to be pretty good at both. And neuro is flashier…”

 _You’re talking to me like you actually respect me. Am I dreaming?_ Marc shrugged. “I’m not flashy.”


	20. Meet the Bambi

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for all the dialogue and jumping in this one... it was the only way that I could do it :/

“Hi! I’m so sorry I’m late! I got out of surgery and then I had to do post-op before I managed to get away. How long have you been sitting there?” Marc pulled his brother into a hug, a little out of breath from all the running he’d done to get there, only to find Alex sitting on his suitcase outside his door.

Squeezing him back tightly, not really minding the delay too much, Alex grinned. “Don’t worry, I know you’re a hot shot surgeon now. You’re here now.” _And I’ve missed seeing your goofy face._

He nodded, unlocking the door so that they could keep on schedule as much as possible. “Yes, I am. Here, I mean. Not a hotshot surgeon. Come in, make yourself at home. I just have to jump in the shower but I’ll be really quick so help yourself to whatever’s in fridge. Are you hungry?”

“Calm down, Marc. Go have a shower, I’m more than capable of taking care of myself.”

“Okay, I’ll be ready to go soon. Are you ready to go?”

“Marc, _go_.”

“Going.”

*****

“Naaww, look at you trying to look good for your boyfriend.”

 _Remind me why I told you you could come stay._ Marc blushed as he ran his hand through his hair one last time, watching himself in the mirror as he worked the gel into it, realising that he was in dire need of a haircut. “Shut up. You always spent longer on your hair than I do.”

Arching an eyebrow, Alex grinned mischievously, leaning against the wall by the front door. “You’re not denying it.”

“Do you want to meet him or not? Because I can always tell him not to come…”

“Don’t you dare! I need to give him a grilling to see if he’s good enough for my big brother…”

Satisfied with his appearance, Marc grabbed his keys and his wallet off the counter top, patting down his pocket to make sure his phone was there before heading out the door. “He’s good enough for me, don’t worry.”

Given that the bar was only a couple of streets away, they walked instead of taking Marc’s car, which he would have had to leave there anyway. But it also took longer and longer meant more questions; ‘what does he look like?’, ‘how old is he?’, ‘can I see a picture?’…

“No you cannot see a picture. You’ll meet him at some point tonight, you don’t need to see a picture! Kids these days…”

“Pff, when did you turn into such a grumpy old man?”

Marc stuck out his tongue at his brother, mildly irked but happy to have him around again more than anything, as they rounded the last corner. “Behave, okay? For my sake.”

Making sure that he looked as angelic as possibly, never as good at it as Marc was but he didn’t have Marc’s eyes, Alex chuckled. “I promise I’ll behave.”

“Good,” looking the younger man up and down warily for a moment, wondering whether or not this was or not, Marc pushed the door open, deciding it was best that he go first. His friends weren’t that hard to find, sitting in the place that had very much become their spot. He made sure that Alex was right there beside him before making his way over, all eyes bypassing him and landing on his brother.

“Ah, so this must be the brother,” Tito smiled, waving Alex over with his empty hand, “Come join us, Baby Marquez.”

 _Oh Tito…_ “Alex, this is Tito,” Marc chuckled, watching as his brother quietly did what he was told, suddenly all bashful. “And this is Stefan, Maria, and Johann.”

“Jesus, if you were a little shorter the two of you could be twins,” Maria remarked, studying the newcomer closely, her eyes flicking between the two brothers. 

“I got the height, he got the melanin,” Alex chuckled, replying with ‘Estrella’ when Marc asked what he wanted, ready to head to the bar.

“Estrella? But it’s happy hour! You can’t drink beer!” Maria insisted, raising her glass of vodka and coke, heavy on the vodka, light on the coke.

 _I shouldn’t have brought him here, bad influence the lot of you!_ “Happy hour? Happy hour is long over.”

Stefan shrugged. “It’s _our_ happy hour.”

“Estrella is good… He’s nineteen, I don’t want to send him home to my parents an alcoholic.”

*****

“Is that Álvaro?”

Following Alex’s line of vision to the door where someone had just entered, Tito almost spat his drink out. “Álvaro?! No! Don’t _ever_ let your brother hear you say that… That’s _Pol_.”

Realising that mistaking his brother’s boyfriend for his arch nemesis would be pretty bad, Alex blushed. “Oh. Sorry, Marc just gave me a basic description and he seemed to match…”

“Pff, trust me, you’ll know Álvaro when you see him!” Maria wagged her eyebrows, just a little bit tipsier than everyone else after her traumatic week, “He’ll be the one that’s hotter than everyone else in the room. Except maybe your brother.”

“Maria!” Johann chuckled, half horrified, half amused expression on his face.

She shrugged, taking another sip. “What? He’s pretty!”

“Marc, Maria thinks that you’re pretty.”

The neuro intern returned with the drinks, eyebrow cocked in amusement. “Thank you? You’re pretty too but I’m taken at the moment,” he chuckled, knowing exactly what she meant, “You guys will never guess what…”

“What?”

“I was on a paeds case today, and Dani Pedrosa was actually nice to me.”

“What?? How nice?”

 _I know._ “He said that, and I quote, ‘it seems that I’m what they say I am’… And I’m great with kids!”

“You’re his resident’s boyfriend, he has to like you,” Johann grinned, chuckling at the stuck out tongue he received in reply.

Marc had to admit that the attending wasn’t exactly what he thought, that maybe Dani Pedrosa wasn’t given the credit he deserved. _Although maybe it’s just Espargaró that puts him in a bad mood… I wouldn’t blame him._ “He wanted Álvaro to do the surgery with Jorge instead of me. I thought he was just being an asshole but he just has really high standards for his patients. I think it’s nice.”

“Mr Sunshine is rubbing off on you.”

“Mr Sunshine is _definitely_ rubbing off on him, isn’t that right, Marc?”

“Hey! Do you mind _not_ talking about my sex life when my baby brother is around?”

*****

Álvaro: Just around the corner, I’ll be there in a minute

Marc: Thank god! They’re ganging up on me :(

Álvaro: Don’t worry, I’ll make them stop ;)

Marc: Thank you <3

A blind panic overcame him as he realised that he’d sent that message with a heart at the end, suddenly rueing the day he was ever born. Until…

Álvaro: That’s my job <3

_Fuck… I think I love you._

Marc wasn’t left with much time to contemplate that bombshell before his boyfriend walked in, Alex’s jaw almost hitting the floor when he saw the grin on his brother’s face.

“ _That’s_ Álvaro?”

He didn’t answer that question, nor did he have to, the resident sitting in the free chair next to Marc before he even got the chance. “Hello,” Álvaro greeted him with a smile and, most importantly, a kiss, albeit brief seeing as they were in polite (questionable) company.

“Hi.”

“Sorry I’m late, I got caught up with a patient…”

“Don’t worry about it,” Marc grinned, getting a bit lost in those blue eyes before remembering the purpose for this gathering and blushing furiously. “Álvaro, this is my brother, Alex.”

The two men shook hands, the nineteen year old’s eyes still a bit wide in shock. “Nice to meet you, Alex. Wow, Marc wasn’t kidding when he said you looked like him only taller…”

 _And Maria wasn’t kidding when she said you were the hottest person in the room…._ “You too. I’ve heard _so much_ about you.”

“Pff, no he hasn’t. Don’t believe a word he says!”

*****

“Everything okay?” Marc wondered, voice low, as Alex chatted with Tito and the others, something seemingly a little off with his boyfriend.

 _Where do I start?_ Álvaro bit his lip, smile still in place, and linked his fingers with the younger man’s. “Yeah, I just… Something crazy happened today but I can’t really talk about it now, later?”

 _Something crazy._ A little worried but willing to respect his wishes, Marc nodded. “Sure. As long as you’re okay…”

“I’m fine,” Álvaro grinned, leaning in to kiss the younger man again, hand lingering on the small of his back this time, feeling the need to be as close to him as he could. “Everything okay with you?”

“Yeah. Just happy you two get along…”

“I get along with everyone.”

_I think you may actually be right._

*****

“So there was this one time when Marc was sixteen-“

 _YOU WILL NOT._ In full ninja mode, Marc practically threw himself off the chair, covering his brother’s mouth before he could get the words out and tell his boyfriend the most embarrassing of embarrassing stories. “Speak and you will find yourself shipped back to Cervera so quickly…”

A little shocked but thoroughly amused nonetheless, Álvaro tickled Marc, grinning when it did the intended job, Alex now able to breathe freely again. “Álvaro! Whose side are you on?”

“Yours, or course, darling,” he chuckled, arms snaking around the younger man’s front as he pressed a kiss beneath his ear.

 _You smooth talking bastard._ “You can’t orchestrate a sneak tickle attack and then go all ‘darling’ on me. It doesn’t work like that.”

“It’s worked before…” the blond grinned, pulling his boyfriend down onto his lap, Marc not even bothering to resist as several other people at the table made puking noises.

 _I cannot deny that._ “Maybe I’m just too soft?”

“And on that note I am going to go to the bar so I can be anywhere but here… Anyone want anything?” Alex wondered, torn between being mildly amused and downright terrified. It couldn’t be denied that the couple were insanely cute but the last thing he wanted to hear about was how his brother was ‘too soft’…

Rising from her seat, Maria smiled. “I’ll go with you.” That got Marc’s attention, taking a break from staring lovingly into Álvaro’s eyes to look his younger brother up and down, eyebrows practically disappearing above his hairline. Alex just laughed, shaking his head before joining her at the bar.

“Álvaro? I think my brother is flirting… with _Maria._ ”

“So?”

 _So, he says._ “So? It’s _Maria_.”

 _I think we’ve established that…_ Chuckling, Álvaro rested his chin on Marc’s shoulder, watching the two from afar. “It is. I’m still not seeing a problem here…”

“But it’s _Maria_. And my brother. Who is nineteen.”

“He doesn’t look nineteen…”

“But he is! And it’s weird, right? My colleague and my brother… flirting.”

“You’re getting way too ahead of yourself. They’re talking, not fucking.” Shooting his boyfriend a very disapproving look momentarily, Marc turned his attention back, smacking the resident’s arm. “Ouch! I’m sorry!”

“Not that, she just touched his _arm_.”

“… You’re reading way too much into this.”

*****

It turned out Álvaro was right, the two showing mild interest in each other for the rest of the evening but no visible spark. They stayed an hour longer, until Marc was pretty much ready to fall asleep, the week catching up with him. The three of them left together, Álvaro walking the two brothers back to Marc’s apartment on the way to his.

“Are you staying over?” Alex asked, just out of curiosity as they meandered through the streets of Barcelona, the two surgeons hoping to god that they didn’t come across any casualties.

“No, I’ll leave you boys to it tonight…”

 _And by that you mean I don’t want to make things weird. Or intrude on your brotherly bonding time._ Alex bit his lip, grinning mischievously. “Well I’m going to bed when we get back and I’m sure Marc is too so it doesn’t really make a difference if you want to stay. I have earplugs!”

Rolling his eyes at the fact that he had been going so well up until that point, Marc nudged his brother before leaning back into his boyfriend’s side. “Stay if you want? For _sleeping_ obviously. What time are you working tomorrow?”

“I’m starting at five. I’ll stay if you want me to but I don’t want to invade…”

“You won’t be,” Alex answered before his older brother got a chance, “And I’m saying that because I approve. If I didn’t there would be _no way_ ,” he chuckled to himself, obviously after having one too many Estrella Galicias.

“You hear that?” Marc grinned, nuzzling his head against the older man’s neck. “Come to mine for lots and lots of cuddles.”

Never one to resist cuddles, Álvaro agreed, only partly because he was worried about the two of them burning down the building…

*****

“Mmm,” Marc grinned, shuffling closer to his boyfriend as he got into the bed after brushing his teeth, the two of them deciding that having a toothbrush in each other’s place wasn’t exactly moving in, “I’m glad you’re here. You’re nice and warm.”

 _And you’re nice and cute. As always._ “I’m glad I’m here too. I love spending time with you, even if it’s just sleeping.”

 _I really think I love you. But I shouldn’t feel bad about that, right? You’re kinda impossible to not love. But I’m not going to tell you._ “Me too.”

“Marc?”

“Hmm?”

“Do you remember when you asked me if I was okay earlier on?”

“Oh! Yes! Tell me.”

Álvaro hesitated for a moment, knowing that Ricky probably knew he would tell his boyfriend but given no express permission to do so… "This has to stay between the two of us, okay?”

Now even more intrigued, Marc nodded, propping himself up a bit so that he had a clear view of the older man’s face. “Of course.”

“And I won’t tell you if it might affect your professional life but I kind of feel like you’re going to need an explanation anyway when the time comes…”

“Álvaro?”

“Yeah?”

“Just tell me,” Marc smiled, trying his best to hide the fact that he was just a little bit worried by playfully poking his boyfriend in the chest.

The resident chuckled, pressing his lips against the younger man’s temple. “Okay. Ricky came to me today and asked me to take next Wednesday afternoon off.”

 _Huh?_ “Why would he do that?”

 _Here’s where it gets crazy…_ Unable to keep from smiling, so happy for his best friend despite the shock of it all, Álvaro bit his lip. “He’s getting married.”

“That’s great! I didn’t know he was engaged.”

“See that’s the thing… neither did I until he told me he needed a witness.”

Very confused, Marc propped himself up further, eyebrows raised. “You, his best friend, didn’t even know he was engaged? How did that happen? I thought you two were close…”

Álvaro chuckled at the fact that that would all soon become abundantly clear. “We are. I knew all about the person he was seeing but it’s a bit of a whirlwind wedding…”

“Pregnant?” the intern assumed, not judging but knowing that had a tendency to lead to weddings happening quicker than they would normally.

 _Oh god… this is going to be so good. You have no idea how wrong you are._ “Nope. Jorge’s good but he’s not _that_ good.”

_Jor- OH MY GOD._

Álvaro chuckled, watching as everything seemed to click for the younger man, his jaw dropping dramatically. “Did I mention you’ll be working with a temp on Wednesday…?”

Now sitting completely upright, Marc continued to look like a deer caught in headlights. “Jorge and Ricky are getting _married_?”

“Yeah.”

“To _each other_?”

 _Oh wow._ “Yes, Marc, to each other.”

 _Fuck._ “How did I not see that??”

“I wouldn’t beat yourself up, they keep to themselves. I think that’s why they work so well.”

Genuinely gobsmacked, Marc dropped his shoulders, still trying to come to terms with the news. Although Álvaro’s evasion of his questions earlier on made _so_ much more sense now. “Huh.”

Grinning, the blond pulled his boyfriend back down to him again, Marc taking the hint easily and resuming his former position, snuggling into Álvaro’s side. “Now you get it.”

“Now I get it.”


	21. Dr Lorenzo, squared

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Glad you liked the last chapter! Sorry about all the dialogue :/

“Dani.”

“Emilio.”

The Chief of Surgery paused for a moment, studying his attending carefully as he pressed his cup of coffee to his lips. “You look like there’s something you want to say…”

 _Okay then._ “You and Jorge made the decision to put Marquez in neuro.”

Emilio blinked, the comment taking him by surprise for a moment. _Everyone’s obsessed with this kid._ “We did. And if I remember correctly you were part of that discussion too.”

 _Yes and I woke have spoken up if I actually had a chance to meet them first._ “I think you made a mistake.”

“Excuse me?”

“A mistake, putting Marquez in neuro.”

 _Is that so?_ Concluding that Dani must not have heard as many stories about the intern as he had originally thought, the only logical explanation for that assumption, the Chief shifted in the armchair, more amused than annoyed. “You know I respect your opinion, Dani, but I really don’t think so. Marc is shining in neuro, he’s going to be the next Jorge. Hell, he’s probably going to be the next Valentino, or even _me_.”

“You’re not wrong; he will be, but that doesn’t mean he _should_ be.”

The older man arched an eyebrow, now more curious than anything. “And what should he be?”

“The next me,” Dani admitted shamelessly, knowing his boss knew that he wasn’t being self-important. It was the truth, a professional observation. “He’s a paediatrician if I’ve ever seen one, not a neurosurgeon.”

“You worked one case with him.”

“Yes, I did. He’s a fantastic surgeon, we all know that, but it’s what he’s like with the patients that makes the difference. He’s a natural with children, he just _gets_ them. In his free time he likes to come up to the fifth floor and look at the babies for christ’s sake.”

Pressing his cup to his lips again, Emilio gave the younger man a wry smile. “I’ve heard things… He was probably just visiting certain members of staff…”

“And that’s another thing. It didn’t really make sense to me, that relationship, but then I worked with Marquez and it made sense. He’s a paediatrician, Emilio, a damn sight better than that idiot Espargaró- who even thought it was a good idea to let him near children in the first place?- putting a  neuro stamp on him isn’t going to change that. Sure, keep him in neuro and he’ll never have a problem but in paeds… in paeds he would be extraordinary.”

*****

Upon hearing a wolf whistle, Álvaro looked up in confusion, face softening when he saw his boyfriend sneaking into the residents’ lounge, a large smirk on his face. “Well, well, well… Don’t you scrub up nicely,” Marc commented, looking the older man up and down in appreciation.

Glancing down at his attire, suit, tie and white shirt, Álvaro chuckled, wishing that he didn’t have to get changed in the hospital to make it to City Hall on time. “Thank you very much.” Pressing his lips briefly against the younger man’s, something he’d never done during work hours before, he enjoyed the way Marc blushed, looking around to make sure no one had seen. As if they didn’t already know. “How’s the temp?”

“Good. Not Jorge though. The bright side is that I’m scrubbing in on back to backs later on because of the shortage of staff…”

“Back to backs?” Arching an eyebrow, Álvaro threaded their fingers together, “Is that really a good idea? That’s how mistakes happen…”

 _I know where you’re coming from._ “I know but they’re only minor…”

“Even so, if you think that the new guy is being a little ambitious talk to Rick- well, obviously _don’t_ talk to Ricky because Ricky is going on his twelve hour long honeymoon… Talk to Emilio, he values your opinion evidently.”

Smiling, pretty certain that he wasn’t overshooting, Marc pressed his lips against the blond’s again. “I will, don’t worry. Now you should probably get going, you wouldn’t want to be late.”

“Pff, I’m sure Jorge would _really_ appreciate that. It’s just… hard to believe that I’m going to my best friend’s _wedding_. Within the next hour and a half he’s going to be someone’s husband…”

Only too aware of how bizarre the situation was but, being the hopeless romantic that he was, appreciating the attractiveness of it all, Marc set his focus on fixing his boyfriend’s tie- blue to match his eyes- so that it was picture perfect. “Not just _someone’s_ … The more I think about it the more it seems like they’re a perfect match. I’d love to have what they have.”

 _Mmm, me too._ “Hopefully we will.”

*****

“If he’s late-“

Chuckling at the fact that _Jorge Lorenzo_ was _nervous_ , Ricky linked their hands, giving the older man a reassuring squeeze. “He’ll be here on time, don’t worry.”

The attending was about to bite back with a ‘he better be’ when a mop of expertly styled blond hair suddenly appeared in their line of vision, the three men unable to suppress a chuckle as Álvaro practically hurdled the security barrier.

“I’m here! I’m not late, I’m here!” _Why do I sound like I’m trying to convince myself more than them?_ Coming to a halt in front of his best friend, the neuro attending and the Chief of Surgery, Álvaro’s hands instantly went to his neck, fixing his tie one last time after loosening it so that he could breathe while he was sprinting. “Sorry, I ran into… Sorry.”

“It’s fine, you’re here. We can get this show on the road…”

“No need to sound so terrified,” Jorge chuckled, nudging his intended, “You can still opt out-“

“ _Not happening_.”

_Well then, I guess that answers that question._

They made their way inside the designated room, the two witnesses taking a seat while Jorge and Ricky presented all their official paperwork, the registrar checking everything was in order before they could proceed. Álvaro and Emilio sat in slightly awkward silence, neither really sure what to say to the other in such an unusual situation.

“Did you speak to Marc?”

 _What?_ “Marc?” Álvaro wondered, hoping he didn’t look too guilty.

Emilio chuckled, shaking his head to himself in disbelief. “Marquez? Surely _you_ know who I’m talking about.”

“I know who you’re talking about, I’m just a bit confused as to why…”

 _We’re both at the wedding of one of my attendings to one of my residents and you’re seriously worried?_ “Calm down, Álvaro, I’m not trying to catch you out. Yes, I’ve received word of your… relationship with him but I was talking in a professional sense. How is he getting on with Biaggi?”

Trying his best not to bite his lip, the resident blushed. “Sorry. Yes, I spoke to him before I left. He said they were getting on fine…”

“But?”

“ _But_ , I’m a little bit concerned. Biaggi seems very… _eager_.”

 _Eager_. “Concerned in a professional or personal sense?”

“Both, to be honest.”

Emilio watched the younger man closely for a moment and, seeing the genuine worry on his face, nodded. “Okay. I’ll keep an eye on the situation when I get back. That’s if I actually have a hospital to go back to without anyone to referee Rossi and Biaggi…”

*****

“Good afternoon chaps…” Jorge’s replacement for the day strolled into the attending’s lounge as if he owned the place, knowing very well that his presence would annoy his Italian counterpart.

Vale, who thought he’d long seen the back of Biaggi, grimaced into his coffee, trying to ignore the way Dovi arched an eyebrow at him. “Max. Thought you’d sold your soul to private practice.”

“Oh, I did. Supermaresme is very lovely. But when I get a call from a friend in need asking to help out… well, I couldn’t say no, could I? I have to say it’s nice to be back though, not much has changed around here. It makes me feel oddly… nostalgic.”

“Good thing nostalgia is fleeting then.”

Sitting down opposite his compatriots, Max shrugged. “Maybe. Although some things have changed. Like Pedrosa… what happened to him? It’s like someone shoved a very large stick up his arse.”

Pursing his lips in distaste, the cardio attending through the end of his coffee in the bin, rising to his feet so he could go somewhere that Max Biaggi wouldn’t be. “Don’t talk about things you know nothing about.”

*****

“Congratulations,” Emilio extended his hand to the newlyweds, ceremony over remarkably quickly for something so monumental, “I’m so happy for the both of you.”

Snaking his hand around his husband’s waist, Jorge pulled Ricky flush against his side, placing a tender kiss against his temple. “Thank you very much. I mean it, thanks for everything, for being so accommodating. We both really appreciate it.”

Grinning, the Chief of Surgery casually waved it off. “All in the name of romance. But you’ll both be back tomorrow, right? I promised Vale one day and one day only…”

Sorry he couldn’t see the look on his colleagues face for himself, Jorge chuckled. Ricky rolled his eyes at husband, knowing he was getting far too much amusement from this. “We’ll be back, don’t worry. Can’t leave the puppy alone for too long…”

“Hey! Rude!” Álvaro chuckled, nudging his best friend, “As much as I’ve enjoyed this I have to get back to the hospital now, there are small humans that need me.”

“I’m not sure if you’re talking about Dani or Marc…”

 _Fuck off._ “You’re hilarious, you know that? Maybe you should extend the honeymoon after all.”

“I better get going too,” Emilio shrugged on his jacket, “See what the damage is...”

*****

“You ever think about private practice?”

Looking up from the clamp he was holding in place, Marc frowned in confusion, reverting his eyes to the incision when he saw that Biaggi was still very much focused on what he was doing. “Excuse me?”

“Private practice… Have you ever thought of working in one?”

 _Are you trying to put the moves on me?_ Not should whether he should be flattered or offended, Marc pursed his lips. “No, I’ve always wanted to be a surgeon.”

The neurologist nodded. “And you can be. I still do surgeries every week. But I also get paid more and get to go home at six o’clock every day, what’s not to love?” He smirked, taking the finer blade from the scrub nurse.

Really beginning to wonder if the older man was just making casual conversation or trying to make a case, Marc shrugged, feeling increasingly uncomfortable with the situation. “I’m just an intern, no place is going to hire me.”

Looking up properly for the first time, Biaggi arched an eyebrow. “My practice would. I’ve heard quite a bit about you from Jorge… It wouldn’t take too long to groom you into a proper physician. No more nurse work for you, just like that.”

Marc almost felt like the renowned doctor was trying to get him to sell his soul, doing his best to keep his nose from scrunching up in distaste. _Maybe someone else would be easily convinced by your little pitch but I have more loyalty than that._ “Things are going well for me here at the moment so I’m happy where I am.”

“Well, you always know where to find me if you change your mind. Although it might be… advisable not to mention this to anyone. Or do; you might find yourself with some incentives to stay… Either way, win-win.”

 _Wow, I_ really _hope I never end up like you._

*****

Pulling off his scrub cap as he sat down on the bench opposite his locker, Marc yawned, the back to back surgeries taking their toll on him. He rubbed his now red-rimmed eyes, longing for his bed so much that he contemplated just going to the on call room instead of heading home.

“Hey you…”

Turning around, he smiled at the sight of his boyfriend sneaking into the room, now back in his scrubs once again. “Hey.”

Coming to sit next to him, Álvaro straddled the bench so that he could have proper access to Marc’s shoulders so that he could give them a rub. “I heard you were out of surgery so I thought I’d come and see how you were.”

“Ugh, tired. Looking forward to going to bed. How was the wedding, no objections or runaway grooms?”

Chuckling at that, Álvaro pressed his lips against the interns. “Nope. It went off without a hitch. My best friend is officially a married man.”

Marc grinned, feeling genuinely happy for his resident and attending. “That’s good.”

“How did your surgeries go?”

“Lost one but there was nothing that could be done. And I was propositioned.”

 _Excuse me?_ “Propositioned?”

Biting his lip, Marc chuckled at the slightly indignant look on his boyfriend’s face. “Not like that. Biaggi was trying to recruit me for private practice.”

“What? Jorge would have his head- fuck, _Emilio_ would have his head.”

“I know, right? I told him that I was very happy where I was, which I am. It takes more than a nine-to-five job and an extra couple of hundred a week to convince me.”

Álvaro wrapped his arms around Marc, ghosting a kiss over his neck as the younger man relaxed into his embrace. “I wouldn’t let you go anyway.”

"Hmm..." And _I won’t even pretend that you’re not a major part of the reason I said no._


	22. The 'B' Word

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay, I've been sick and just had no desire to write. I'm now into the blocked nose, five hundred tissues end of things so I managed to get this done while I've been bed bound and feeling sorry for myself all day :P

“So what do you say to dinner at mine tomorrow? I’m thinking it’s going to be a movie and cuddle night…” Álvaro grinned, sitting down next to his boyfriend in the cafeteria, designating at least two days a week to having lunch together.

Marc groaned, pouting as he pierced a piece of pasta with his fork. _If only…_ “I can’t, _unfortunately_. I’ve been summoned to Cervera.”

Cocking an eyebrow, the blond chuckled. “Summoned?”

“Well, I haven’t been back since I started here so it’s about time but I’m not just ‘going home’.”

 _You’re not?_ “And what, pray tell, are you doing?”

Marc lowered his gaze to his plate for a moment, trying not to look like a deer caught in headlights, unable to keep from blushing when his eyes locked with his boyfriend’s once again. “Telling them about the boyfriend they’ll think I’ve been keeping from them…”

“Marc,” reaching out, Álvaro covered the younger man’s hand with his, both of them long ceased caring about hospital staff knowing about their relationship, “If you’re not ready-”

“No, I’m ready. I’m just not looking forward to it. It’s not because I think it will be a problem- it won’t- I just know they’re going to make a big deal of it when it’s not. And they’re going to be mad when they find out that Alex has already met you…”

 _I love how you’ve gone from ‘this is the biggest thing ever’ to not even an issue._ “Try not to take it personally, it’s not a big deal for you but they’re your parents, they think they know you inside and out and you’re going to tell them that you’re not _exactly_ who they thought. If, like you say, it’s not going to be a problem then you should just try to be understanding and give them a little time to adjust.”

“I know but I just hope that it won’t take _too_ long. I’m bisexual, not coming out. But people don’t really get that do they? It makes no sense; if someone asks if I could see myself being with a woman again… I’m obviously not going to be able to say ‘yeah, absolutely’ if I’m in love with the guy I’m with.”

Álvaro’s eyes widened in pleasant surprise, wondering for a moment if he’d picked that up the right way, suspicions confirmed by the ‘eek’ look on Marc’s face as he realised what he’d just said. “You’re in love with me?”

 _What a completely unromantic way to let the cat out of the bag…_ Biting his lip, Marc blushed under the intensity of the older man’s gaze, his fingers rubbing circles on the back of the intern’s hand. _Here goes nothing…_ “It’s a really bad way to tell you but yeah, I love you.”

“There’s no _bad_ way to tell me you love me, Marc, trust me. Marc?”

“Hmm?”

Using his other hand, Álvaro placed his index finger beneath his boyfriend’s chin, bringing his gaze back to him once again. “I love you too, okay? I’ve felt this way for a while now but I didn’t want to say something and scare you off. You don’t have to be embarrassed, not at all.”

_So when my parents inevitably ask if we’re serious I’ll have to tell them yes…_

*****

“Mama?”

He only had to wait a moment before his mother appeared at the top of the stairs, almost taking them two by two as she bounded down, wrapping her arms around her firstborn. “Marc! You’re here!” The air was almost constricted out of him but he found himself not caring, enjoying the warm feeling of being home.

“Yes, mama, I’m here. Just like I said I would be.”

“Pff, how many times have you said you would come home over the years? Before you say anything I know you’re busy, I’ve just missed having you around more often…”

Guilt flooded through him as Marc saw the sadness in her eyes that she always tried her very best to hide for his sake. “I know, I just needed time to get settled in to my job. All I’ve pretty much done for the past two months is work and sleep but I think I’ve got a good balance now so I’ll be home more, I promise.”

Roser smiled, pressing a big kiss against her son’s cheek as her fingers brushed over his hair, cut shorter than he usually had it so that he could go longer without getting it cut again. “That’s good, but don’t push yourself too hard, you hear me? We’ll still be here.”

“I know.”

 

Dropping onto the couch in the living area, thankfully excused from helping out with dinner, Marc fixed his gaze on the race Alex had on the tv. “Hey.”

“Hey. Long time, no see,” the younger of the two chuckled, reaching for the remote to turn the volume down a bit.

“Yeah. Can’t remember the last time I got to watch a race…”

“The price you pay for saving lives. How’s the other half?” Alex wondered, genuinely curious, knowing well enough to not use any specific pronouns or names in case there were any ears about.

Marc smiled, unable to properly express just how happy he was that his boyfriend and his brother got on as well as they did, greetings always sent both ways whenever he was on the phone with one or the other. “Good. Working most of the weekend so…”

“You say that as if you would have brought… them otherwise,” Alex challenged, eyebrow cocked in mild disbelief.

 _I thought about it…_ “Nah, I think _that’s_ something better done in person. Maybe next time…”

“So today’s the day then?”

Marc shrugged, shifting uncomfortably as his nerves started to get the better of him, never feeling so ill at ease in his own home. “No point in prolonging it. At least if I do it today I’ll- _we’ll_ \- know where we stand.”

 _Fuck_. “Did she mention that she invited the grandparents too?”

 _Fuck._ “No, she didn’t.”

*****

“Your mother’s been telling everyone that her precious little boy is a neurosurgeon,” Julia chuckled, earning a nudge from his wife as he passed the vegetables on to his eldest, “You’re quite the talking point in Cervera lately.”

Blushing at the thought of his mother and his neighbours discussing him, Marc bit his lip. “I’m training to be a neurosurgeon, I haven’t exactly got the impressive credentials that my bosses have yet. But they’ve been good to me, they trust me with things that none of the other attendings trust their interns with.”

“That’s because you’re the best,” his grandfather stated plainly, his proud smile always making Marc feel as if he’d accomplished twice as much as he had, “We’ve been blessed with two extraordinary grandchildren.”

Taking that as her queue, Roser swallowed her mouthful of water, eyebrows raising in a way that made both Marc and Alex groan internally. _Here it comes…_ “Speaking of which… Is there someone in the picture? We’ve not heard anything on that front in a while.”

Swallowing hard, the usually casual question now warranting more than just a roll of his eyes. Marc felt his palms began to sweat, everyone’s eyes on him except Alex’s, who tried to keep his gaze fixed on his plate to give the illusion that he knew nothing. “You haven’t heard anything because there wasn’t anything to tell…”

“Wasn’t?”

“Wasn’t. I’m seeing someone at the moment but it’s still relatively new.” _I fail at sounding casual._

His grandmother smiled softly, obviously pleased for her grandson. “That must be hard seeing as you have so little time to yourself.”

Marc could sense his brother’s increasing discomfort practically radiating from beside him and he wanted to kick the younger man for making things more awkward. “Well, we work together so it’s not like we never see each other. And we spend our nights off together too…”

He could tell from the look on his mother’s face that she was already thinking marriage, grandchildren. _And that second one is not going to happen naturally…_ “Is she a nurse? Or a doctor?”

Alex’s knee bumped his beneath the table and Marc took the message as it was intended to be, telling him to just bite the bullet before things got unbearably awkward. _Please don’t banish me._ “He’s a paediatric resident, which is a rank above me.”

Silence overcame the table and Alex decided to put his two cents in, just to make sure everyone knew that they heard right. “He’s really nice.”

“He?”

“You’ve met him?”

“Ooh, what’s his name? Is he handsome?”

Feeling a little overwhelmed by the questions but also wanting to hug his grandmother at the same time, none of them overtly _bad_ but… He started off with his mother. “Yes, mama, _he._ I have a boyfriend, not a girlfriend. And, before you say anything, I’m not _gay_ and I’m not just saying that because I’m in denial, who knows, one day I may be but for the moment I still like women in theory, I just love my boyfriend. His name is Álvaro and, yes,” he cracked a smile, “he is _very_ handsome. Alex met him when he came to stay a couple of weeks ago.”

“You knew your brother has a boyfriend and you didn’t say anything?”

“He didn’t say anything because I told him not to, I wanted to tell you myself. I’m sorry if that’s disappointing-“

“Disappointing?” Roser challenged, crease forming between her brows, “You think that having a son who likes men is disappointing? For god’s sake, Marc. You think you’ll be renounced just like that because you have a boyfriend instead of a girlfriend? You are who you are, and if that means that we’ll be having Álvaro for Christmas dinner then so be it. We’ll welcome him like we would anyone else.”

Placing his hand on his wife’s shoulder, Julia nodded, smiling reassuringly. “Your mother is right. He’s a very lucky guy to have you.”

 _This has taken an unexpected turn… Where’s the cold shoulder? The crippling awkwardness?_ “Er, okay? Thank you? I’m- I’m happy to hear that,” Marc chuckled, feeling that ‘happy’ was understating things. Ecstatic was probably more like it, like the weight of an elephant had been lifted from his chest especially when his mother just casually asked Alex to pass the potatoes.

*****

Marc: So I casually broke the news over dinner…

Álvaro: AND? You can’t just leave it like that!

Marc: I’m disowned.

Marc: Álvaro?

Marc: I didn’t-

Feeling like a bit of an asshole, Marc stopped typing to answer his boyfriend’s call. “Hello?”

“What happened? Are you okay? Do you need me to come collect you? I get off work soon…”

 _Fuck. I’m an awful person._ “I realise how bad it is now but I was kinda joking…”

There was silence for a moment and he wondered for a moment if his boyfriend had hung up on him until… “You’re a fucking asshole! Jesus Christ, my heart, Marc!”

 _Eeek._ Watching him from across the room, Roser chuckled at the sheepish look on her son’s face, hearing the faint sound of his boyfriend berating him. “I’m sorry! But thank you for the offer anyway...”

“You’re infuriating, you know that? I was about to get Pol, fucking _Pol_ , to cover my patients!”

Getting up so he could go talk to his boyfriend in the privacy of his own room, Marc shoved Alex who was cackling beside him. “I know, I shouldn’t have done that. I’ll make it up to you when I get back tomorrow…”

“Hmmph. You better. So you might as well tell me how it _actually_ went while I’m here.” With little sympathy for the younger man after his little trick, Álvaro was highly amused by the whole thing, especially the part where his grandmother insisted he showed her a picture of Álvaro from the ‘BookFace’, torn between being proud and mortified when she declared him to be a ‘hottie’. They couldn’t talk for long, Álvaro having to finish out the end of his shift, so Marc said goodnight and told him he loved him before returning to the sitting room, taking the seat next to his father this time.

Big mistake.

“So…”

He almost groaned when the word, drawn out, left his father’s mouth, his mother having left for a couple of minutes to make a cup of coffee. _I should have stuck with Alex…_ “Yeah?”

Cheeks tinged pink, Julia arched an eyebrow. “Boyfriend.”

 _Oh god…_ “Yeah, boyfriend.” _And by that you mean, sex with my boyfriend. Probably wondering who’s sticking what where._ Unable to keep a straight face at that thought, Marc chuckled, shaking his head to himself.

“And… everything is okay? Good? It’s a bit of a change…”

‘A _very_ pleasant change’, he resisted the urge to say. “At first. Not so much now. It’s just like being with a woman, except it’s not at the same time.”

There was another pause and Marc knew it couldn’t mean anything good. “And you two are being… responsible?”

 _Nope, I’ve contracted a disease_ and _we’re having a baby… Please stop!_ “Yes, dad, we are. There’s no need to worry, trust me. I’ve got it _all_ under control.”

“Good,” the older man coughed, “that’s… good. You love him?”

 _Now that’s one thing that I can actually smile about._ “Yeah, I do.”


	23. Shuffling the Cabinet

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one is better than the last I think... less sappiness ;) Thank you all so much, once again! ♥

“Fancy seeing you around here again.”

The comment caught him off guard, causing Marc to jump a mile into the air before turning in confusion to see the last person he would have expected standing there beside him. _Or maybe he’s the first person I should suspect, given where I am…_ “Dr Pedrosa,” Marc breathed heavily, placing a hand over his heart, “you scared me.”

Dani pretty much ignored that, giving him the slightest hint of an apologetic smile. “Are you planning on taking up residence here?” he wondered, half curious, half amused as he gestured towards the nursery, “Or are you just planning on adopting?”

Giving a little shrug, Marc tried to hide the fact that he was mortified beyond belief. “I’m on lunch, I like to come here sometimes to think. It’s very… comforting.”

 _Comforting._ “Well, fire away. As long as you’re not thinking of making off with any of my babies… I might have to blacklist you.”

 _So you do have a sense of humour after all…_ “Nope, there will be no making off with babies here. Your babies are perfectly safe.”

Resisting the urge to laugh at the intern, Dani merely shook his head in amusement before walking away. “That’s good to hear.”

*****

“Okay…” Emilio began, ensuring that he had the attention of his attendings, all gathered in the board room for an important meeting, “Now I know this usually doesn’t concern you but I feel that any of you who want to… weigh in on the situation should have the opportunity to do so. As some of you may know,” he looked from Dovi to Vale, “Dr Miller’s suspension is soon to come to an end and a decision has to be made about whether or not he should be allowed to return to the surgical unit.”

“Absolutely not!” Vale fumed, “He _sexually harassed_ my intern! We all know that’s grounds for instant dismissal so why are we even talking about this? He’s gone.”

Some seemed to agree, some to disagree, all eyes falling naturally on Dovi regardless. “I understand the severity of the situation and I have already apologised to the girl but I feel that he should be given a chance to make amends, to prove himself. I have no doubt he’s learned his lesson.”

“Yeah well he can continue to learn his lesson elsewhere. What kind of message does that send? Hey, it’s okay to sexually harass people as long as you’re _really_ sorry afterwards. I say tough luck!” Cal stated plainly, his thoughts on the situation known to all from the moment he had had been informed.

Once again some agreed, some protested, the room quickly turning to chaos before Emilio called his staff back to attention again. “Okay, everyone has their opinion so how about we just go around the table- if you have something to say, fantastic, if not, okay.”

A decision was quickly made that the table started with Iannone seeing as Vale had already said his bit. “Personally I think he should be given a second chance. If he was good enough to get here in the first place then I think he should be given the benefit of the doubt.”

“The benefit of the doubt? Why should he be given the benefit of the doubt? My intern gave him the benefit of the doubt- actually, _no_ , she didn’t- she was _victimised_. I think what we strongly need to consider here is how Dr Herrera will be affected by all this.”

“I agree with Vale,” Casey admitted, next in line, “What kind of image of the hospital does it give off if we allow him to come back? It’s not going to take someone long to point to the ratio of men to women. We have no female attendings, we have two residents and one intern. And one of those was sexually harassed. I’m sorry, Emilio but I think our hands are tied here.”

“Not to mention the fact that it took a lot of courage for the person who came forward about it to do so. We need to send a message here,” Jorge added, trying to keep his powder dry.

Iannone gave an exaggerated roll of his eyes. “Yes, Jorge, we all know that your intern is the Mother Theresa of the surgical world.”

Emilio held up his hands, noticing the surprised expressions of those who hadn’t known more than the bare minimum. “We’re not going to name names. Does anyone else have anything to say or should we just take a vote?”

*****

After about fifteen minutes of quiet contemplation, Marc prepared to leave the Sunshine ward and get back to his work in the big bad world of neurosurgery, finding it remarkable that he’d gone so long without a page. Casting one last glance over the little humans, Marc began to walk away but found himself pulled back when his brain caught up with his eyes.

_Fuck. That is not supposed to happen._

Babies didn’t just turn blue for no good reason, especially not that shade of indigo. Fumbling for his ID card, not in emergency mode, Marc swiped it at the door, far from caring that he wasn’t exactly authorised to be entering the nursery. He doubted Dani would have him fired for it if it saved the life of one of his patients.

“What are you doing?” One of the nurses clad in pink scrubs demanded, hands on her hips as the intern brushed past her, making a beeline for the little boy.

Marc pointedly ignored her, taking the stethoscope from around her neck before placing it firmly against the baby’s chest, cursing under his breath when his suspicions were confirmed. “He’s not breathing. I need a resuscitator now. And page Dr Pedrosa!”

“You have no authority-“

“Don’t you dare fucking talk to me about authority when this child is about to die! Worry about authority when you’re explaining to his parents and Emilio Alzamora why weren’t doing your job!”

****

“The verdict is in… Dr Miller will not be returning to the surgical unit. I’ll leave it up to the board to do with him what they see fit,” Happy that they’d managed to reach a decision without World War Three breaking out, Emilio finally took his seat at the top of the table. “There is still the matter of the vacant Obstetrics position, however.”

“Let’s just go for the next in line. Although maybe we should actually meet the guy first… we don’t want another repeat,” Dovi offered, raising his eyebrows mischievously.

“Is he going to immediately fill a gap or are we going to… shuffle the cabinet?” Cal wondered innocently, causing mass consternation amongst his colleagues. “What? It’s a valid suggestion!”

“You’re just trying to hijack one of our interns!”

“I’m perfectly happy with Stefan, I assure you, Andrea. Like I said,” holding up his hands in mock surrender, the trauma attending chuckled at his colleague’s defensiveness, “It was just a suggestion.”

Puffing out his cheeks, Vale shook his head. “We are all comfortable with our interns now. Changing would be unfair on everyone.”

Emilio remained quiet, eyeing his head of paeds carefully, wondering how long it would be until he spoke up on the matter. _And I am very interested in how you’re going to spin this._ He didn’t have to wait too long.

“I agree with Cal. We said the assignments weren’t definitive. And, before anyone gets upset, I’m not saying we should switch things up for the sake of it, I’m just saying that when an intern shows a blatant aptitude for a different specialty then we should at least consider making the change.”

 _When_. Eyes narrowed, Jorge pressed his lips into a hard line. “It sounds like you have someone in mind…”

Dani shrugged unapologetically, prepared to stand his ground. “Marquez is a paediatrician, not a neurosurgeon.”

There was a collective intake of breath from their colleagues as the words left the paeds attending’s mouth, everyone watching intently to see what kind of shit storm _that one_ was going to cause.

“You keep your hands off my intern! That is absolutely _absurd_. I’ve never seen anyone with an aptitude for neuro like that before. You’re just unhappy with yours so you want mine.”

“Yes, Jorge, that’s _exactly_ the reason,” Dani rolled his eyes, voice dripping with sarcasm, “Marquez told me himself that he’s always wanted to be a paediatrician.”

“Since when are you two best friends? _Wanted_ , past tense, he’s a neurosurgeon now. Emilio, back me up.”

“Can I say something?” Cal asked, raising his hand like a school kid.

“By all means,” Emilio let out a whoosh of air, thanking the trauma attending for saving him from that one.

“Well, if Marquez _is_ actually on the market I would like to put my spoke in,” he grinned, purely to take the piss out of the two warring Spaniards, knowing it would really wind them up. He received a very _polite_ ‘fuck off’ from both in response to that.

“It’s not a good idea, especially with Bautista. He would just be throwing everything away.”

“I’m sorry Mr Fucking Neurosurgery but being a paediatrician is not career suicide. Really?” Dani arched an eyebrow mischievously at that first part, “You wouldn’t want to work with your boyfriend?”

If this were a different environment, that would have been followed by a lot of ‘ooohs’ from their colleagues but seeing as they were all professionals, the rest of the attendings kept their surprise and amusement at the Dani’s audacity well hidden.

“Alright, enough, enough, enough! If we’re going to talk about this then we’re going to do it without getting personal-“

They were interrupted by a pager sounding and, since they were all in such close proximity, each attending checked their device. “It’s mine,” Dani frowned, jumping up when he saw the 112 page from the nursery, “I’ve got to go.”

*****

“Marquez?” Dani’s jaw dropped when reached his destination, coming to a halt beside the neuro intern who seemed to be orchestrating a desperate attempt to save one of his patients. “What the fuck is going on?”

Marc continued working on the little boy as Dani took out his stethoscope, not letting up for a millisecond. “I was just about to leave ten or fifteen minutes after I was talking to you but I noticed he’d turned blue so I started him on a bag straight away and paged for you. I’m worried about his heart… I think he may have a severe murmur.”

Pressing the metal disc against the baby’s bare skin, Dani nodded after only a couple of seconds of listening. _That’s exactly what he has._ “You’re right. Who the fuck missed that? Marc, page Vale and tell him we’re going to need him for surgery as soon as possible, then shove an elective out of an OR. _You_ ,” he nodded his head in the direction of the sheepish looking nurse, never bothering with names when he was this angry, “find the parents and tell them they need to see me right away.”

The girl was gone before the words had even left his mouth, leaving Dani and Marc alone with the baby, the look of distress on the older man’s face almost killing the intern. _You care, so much._ “What about Espargaró? Do you want me to get him so he can scrub in with you?”

“No, this is yours. You potentially saved this child’s life, this is all you.”


	24. Divergent

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the long wait! I was hoping the weekend would inspire me to write... And it did, just not what I expected! So I thought I'd take a break from my Marc/Emilio saga to finish the part of this chapter that I really should have ages ago. But then it was so hard and it seemed easy today so it's probably for the best! Thank you for all your comments and kudos! Love you all!

 “Marc, what are you doing?” Jorge wondered, eyebrow arched at the sight of his intern sprinting through the corridor, knowing better than anyone that he had no one to be running to, no one that he would know about anyway.

 _On the bright side, Vale. On the not-so bright side, Jorge…_ The intern came to a halt, not just because his attending had spoken to him, breathing heavily as he tried to get some oxygen back in his lungs. “Clearing an OR. Dr Rossi, did you get Dr Pedrosa’s page?” 

 _You did_ not _just say that._ “The last time I checked you weren’t _Dr Pedrosa’s_ intern,” Jorge retorted before his colleague even got a chance to reply, “Would you care to explain what’s going on?”

“I was in the right place at the right time and I saved one of his patients so he asked me to scrub in with him and Dr Rossi.”

“What is the problem?” Vale asked, wry smile on his face as he practically felt the despair radiating from the neuro attending, always one to appreciate irony.

Feeling uncomfortable under the intensity of his boss’s gaze, green eyes practically burning a hole in him, Marc concentrated on the cardiologist for a moment. “Baby, not even a day and a half old, seems to have a ventricular septal defect…”

The Italian left out a whoosh of air. “And this was missed after the birth?”

“Apparently… Pedrosa is not happy.”

Something inside Jorge seemed to snap, anger beginning to bubble away. He couldn’t exactly put his finger on the source of it all, Marc was still his intern, but it had a lot to do with the way the young man was speaking. _As if you’re already his._ “Maybe you should leave it to someone who actually specialises in that area.”

“Come on Jorge… This is his baby, no?” _No pun intended_ “He should see it through to the end. Don’t worry, I’ll make sure that Dani keeps his hands to himself,” the cardio attending winked, placing his hand on the small of Marc’s back as he led him away, not waiting for a reply.

*****

Pushing his husband forcefully up against the wall of the on call room, Jorge growled as Ricky’s grip tightened on his shirt as his lips ghosted over the younger man’s neck, just remembering to move a little further south before sucking a bruise so that it wouldn’t be there for the world to see.

“Jorge! What the fuck are you doing?”

“Having sex with you, now.”

 _Having-_ “What?? Why?”

“You’re my husband, part of the perks of that is that I get to have sex with you all the time,” Jorge explained, lifting his gaze to meet Ricky’s for a moment before he smashed their lips together, grabbing fistfuls of hair. He glowered when he found himself pushed away, stumbling backwards.

“Okay, I don’t know what the fuck is going on with you but I’m not going to let you fuck me here at work. This is not some cheesy soap opera!” Jorge had the decency to look at least a little bit embarrassed. “So…” sitting down on the bed, Ricky patted the mattress beside him, “why don’t you tell me what’s really going on?”

Jorge sat, powerless to resist, rubbing his face wearily. “Dani wants Marc.”

Unable to keep a smile from forming, Ricky chuckled. “I take it you mean professionally…”

 _Not the time._ “What do you think? He practically announced it in the meeting, said that Marc was a paediatrician, not a neurosurgeon.”

The resident shrugged. “I could see why he would think that, Marc told me himself when he first got here that he was hoping for paeds. I think he grew out of it though, or you groomed it out of him. He’s… for lack of a better word, flourishing under you.”

“And everyone knew this but me,” he grimaced, “Exactly. Why would anyone want to go to _paeds_ when they have the potential to be the best neurosurgeon in Europe in a couple of years? It just makes no sense.”

“Have you actually spoken to Marc about this or are you just basing all of this on Dani?”

 _Don’t go there…_ “I would talk to Marc but he’s in surgery. With Dani.”

And suddenly the whole angry sex thing made a lot more sense. “What’s he doing in surgery with Dani?”

“He was in the right place at the right time and saved the life of one of his patients. A day old baby. And this is _after_ Dani nailed his colours to the mast in that meeting, as if he _needed_ any more convincing. What do you think? Should I be worried?”

Ricky bit his lip for a moment. “Honestly?”

Jorge nodded, despite knowing that meant he wouldn’t get the answer he wanted. “Always.”

“I think you should be worried. Dani doesn’t like interns and _miraculously_ he likes Marc, he sees something in him. And we all know how Marc feels about paeds… So I think you may have a bit of a fight on your hands.”

“What about Álvaro? Do you think Marc is the type to go out of his way to work with his boyfriend?”

“I’m not sure,” the younger man pursed his lips, “But I think the fact that he knows that working together works for us may have an impact.”

Genuinely surprised, Jorge arched an eyebrow at his husband. “You think they’re like us?”

 _That’s the question._ “Sometimes I do, other times no. I’ve never seen Álvaro in love like this before and Marc is obviously incredibly happy too, it’s just…”

“There’s just _something_.”

“Well, yeah.”

 _I hope he’s smart enough not to make a decision based on whose bed he’s sleeping in._ “I’m going to talk to him when he’s out of surgery. Set things straight.”

“You’re going to tell him Dani wants him?”

Shrugging, the attending scrubbed his face wearily. “He’s not stupid. I’d rather be straight and lay all my cards on the table than let Dani seduce him without letting him know where I stand. I’ll just have to trust that he’ll make the right decision.”

*****

“Everything okay, Dr Marquez?” Dani wondered, glancing briefly up at the intern, feeling reassured when he seemed to be as composed as he had been when they operated together a week or two ago.

“Everything is fine.”

Valentino whistled out of the blue, both pairs of eyes falling instantly on the most seasoned of the three. “I’m glad you caught this when you did. The left atrium was beginning to dissect but I think we got it just in time. And I mean _just_. It was… fate,” he gave his trademark smile before reverting his eyes to the tiny incision in the even tinier heart. “You never know, maybe they will call him Marc?”

The Italian really was as good as his reputation would suggest, so much so that Marc would almost compare him to Jorge, except for the fact that their styles were so different. And just like Jorge, he felt reassured even just being in the same OR as him. “If they’re going to name him after anyone it should be you.”

“He wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for you.”

Dani’s jaw clenched at that, not needing any reminding of how close he was to one of the biggest fuck ups the hospital had ever seen. It was probably a good thing his shift was finishing soon so that he could go home and not kill whoever it was that missed that. “Don’t. I can’t even think about that.”

They said no more on the matter, making small talk inside as they continued the marathon, everything more or less going according to plan thankfully. The baby was relatively stable when Dani finally closed up, letting out a breath that it seemed he had been holding since they made it into the OR, feeling like he would be sick after operating for the first time in a long time.

“Done.”

“Done,” Vale confirmed, patting his colleague on the back before heading to scrub out, giving the intern a smile along the way.

“He’ll be okay,” Marc said quietly, not sure if he was reassuring Dani or himself. _And I_ never _want to be in a situation like that again. Well, I never want that to happen again. Ever._

The older man nodded, frown still firmly in place. “Yeah, he will. I suppose I better go tell the parents the good news. And hope to god they’re too happy to ask questions about what went wrong in the first place,” shaking his head to himself, Dani sighed out of pure exasperation, “How did this happen? I… You’re welcome in my OR and ward any time you like. You don’t know how much I owe you.”

Blinking for a moment, the attending continuing to surprise him, Marc shook his head as one of the nurses untied his surgical gown. “You don’t owe me anything, I was just doing my job. But maybe you could tell Dr Lorenzo I did a good thing? Just so he doesn’t murder me for running away to do surgery that I had no business doing.”

 _You still have no idea._ “He’s not going to murder you, he’d be an asshole if he did. You didn’t have any business doing this surgery? That’s not how I see this at all and I’m sure Jorge will come around when he sees that I wasn’t just trying to ruin his life.”

“What?”

A hint of a smile crossed the older man’s face. “You should talk to him about it…”

*****

“Dr Marquez, can I have a word?”

Expecting that but trying his best to hide his ‘eek, I’m dead!’ face anyway, Marc nodded, tucking the chart of one of his actual patients beneath his arm as he followed his boss down the corridor and into a deserted exam room. _The last time I was in one of these it was a little bit different…_ “Before you say anything, I’m sorry I didn’t ask your permission. My behaviour was insubordinate-“

“Marc, stop talking,” Jorge cut him off, genuinely surprised by the not so subtle hint of fear in his intern’s eyes, “I haven’t called you in here to give out to you for doing that surgery. You had every right… I just wanted you to know why I reacted so badly.”

Even more confused, Marc nodded for him to continue, words failing him.

Letting out a whoosh of air, the neuro attending held up his hands, giving a humourless chuckle. “I was… irked and took it out on you and I’m sorry. I’m _sure_ Dani’s already mentioned something to you.”

 _Dani?_ “He was cryptic… didn’t really say anything other than I should talk to you.”

Jorge arched an eyebrow, genuinely surprised. “He didn’t? Maybe his tactics are more above board than I originally thought.”

 _Tactics?_ “Okay, now you’re the one that’s being cryptic. What’s going on?”

“The attendings had a meeting with Dr Alzamora just before you paged this afternoon. I probably shouldn’t be telling you this but you have a right to know, and I know if I didn’t Dani wouldn’t have a problem with doing it for me…” Noticing the utterly perplexed look on the younger man’s face, he continued, “It’s Dr Pedrosa’s… _opinion_ that we made a mistake in placing you in neuro. He’s asked Emilio to consider switching you to paeds.”

 _Excuse me?_ He almost had to sit down, the news shocking him so much that it pretty much knocked the wind out of him. Dani wanted him as his intern… Instead of Pol. Leaving Jorge and Ricky and Neuro. And joining Álvaro… “What? So am I going to be moved?”

 _At least you don’t sound completely ecstatic._ Jorge shrugged. “Not up to us. It’s up to you to make a decision for yourself. But you _know_ that I think you could be one of the best, if not _the_ best, neurosurgeons in Europe. And I’m not saying that you wouldn’t be the same in paeds, it just takes a special type of person to be a neurosurgeon. And you’re that person, I have absolutely no doubt.”

“So what happens now?”

“How about I give you a month to choose? And, let me be clear, that doesn’t mean that I’m sharing you with Dani. It means that you continue to be my intern, you continue to work in neuro. If at the end of that period, giving what you’ve already experienced with paeds or any other cases that may come up in the interim, you decide that you’re a paediatrician then I’ll let you go.”

“Just like that?”

“I’m not holding you against your will, Marc. No matter how much I want you to be the next me, if you’re not happy here or know you can be happier elsewhere, I won’t force you to stay. But I need you to promise me something and I know it may sound hypocritical…”

“What is it?”

“Promise me you won’t make a decision based on your love life. And I’m not saying that because I doubt it will last, that’s none of my business, but even if you end up marrying him, letting that influence your decision will be a waste of your talent. And that’s the only thing I don’t want to see happen. Don’t settle for anything less than the absolute best, promise me.”

“I promise.”

_But choosing has never been my strong point..._


	25. Just Words

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Told you this one would come quicker! ;) It was going to take longer but the end just... clicked.

“I need to talk to you,” Marc announced, not caring that he was interrupting Tito and Maria, too out of it to even contemplate being apologetic.

Looking up in surprise, the ortho intern arched an eyebrow. “Everything okay?”

“I’m not sure… It will just take a couple of minutes.” “Yeah, sure. I’ll talk to you later,” Tito smiled at their colleague, following his best friend down the corridor, to nowhere in particular, just somewhere a bit quieter. “Boy trouble again?”

 _You have no idea._ “Yes, but not in the way you’d think… Lorenzo and Pedrosa.”

“Lorenzo _and_ Pedrosa? Fuck, you must be a firecracker in bed,” the older man chuckled, trying to lighten the mood a bit, not having the desired effect as he found himself on the receiving end of a deathly glare.

“Not funny. Jorge just pulled me into a very weird meeting and told me Pedrosa wants me in paediatrics instead of neuro.”

“What?? Surely he can’t do that? I thought Alzamora made all the decisions?”

“He does. The attendings had a meeting and Pedrosa announced it, that he thinks it was a mistake putting me in neuro.”

Letting out a whoosh of air, Tito shook his head to himself. “He’s a brave man. They obviously told him no, right? You’re like a neurological prodigy! I don’t see Jorge giving up his claim on you just like that…”

Marc scrubbed his face in frustration, wishing that had been the case. Or they’d at least sorted it out between themselves instead of putting it on him. “Alzamora said they weren’t definitive… I have a month to choose between the two.”

“Fuck, they’re making you choose?”

“I don’t think they’re making me choose, I think it’s more like they’re giving me an opportunity to go with what I think will be best for me. But Jorge made it clear that he’s not sharing me with Dani, it’s up for me to decide for myself.”

Glad that burden hadn’t been put on him, Tito puffed out his cheeks, feeling genuine pity for the younger man. “Have you got any idea which way you’re going to go? Lorenzo’s been very good to you…”

 _Ugh, I know._ “He’s done so much for me and I really _really_ appreciate that but paeds was what I wanted from the beginning. Then again, I was okay with the decision when I settled into neuro… So, no, I have absolutely no idea what I’m going to do.”

The worst part for Tito was that he knew that there was absolutely nothing he could do for his friend, that it was a decision that had to be made alone. “Have you spoken to Álvaro about it yet? You know the neuro side of it, he might be able to help with the paeds.”

“I haven’t told him yet. I’m kinda… afraid to,” he made an ‘eek’ face, continuing when the ortho intern’s raised eyebrows prompted him to explain, “I love him and everything but I think he’ll want me to choose paeds and I don’t want to choose it because of him, I want to choose it because-“

“It’s what’s best for you.”

“Right,” _at least you understand,_ “I know he’s my boyfriend and I have to tell him, I just… I don’t know, had to talk to someone else first. I don’t know if that makes any sense…” rubbing his arm, Marc looked around to make sure no one was listening, not that they’d care if they were.

“That makes perfect sense but maybe you need to give him some credit? He’s meant to be the person who helps you when you have problems, talking to him might actually help.”

_I hope you’re right._

*****

“Ah, Dr Marquez,” Emilio smiled, coming to a halt beside the neuro intern, who had been studying the surgical board as if it held the key to the universe.

The younger man jumped, placing his hand over his heart as he tried to calm himself once again, “Dr Alzamora… I thought you were Dr Pedrosa for a moment, he has a habit of doing that.”

The chief of surgery chuckled. “I apologise.”

“No, I was just in a world of my own.”

 _I can imagine why._ “Speaking of Dr Pedrosa… I spoke to him earlier, it seems that myself and our legal department ought to give our thanks to you.”

Marc would have been lying if he said that he hadn’t at least had an inclination of where this conversation had been going. _Well, one way or another…_ It wasn’t exactly surprising that the day’s events had reached the administrative part of the hospital. “Just doing my job. Being at the right place at the right time helps,” he shrugged.

“You seem to have a habit of being in the right place at the right time.”

 _I can’t exactly deny that._ Marc tried his best to smile, giving another shrug. “I guess I’m just lucky.”

“Well thank god you are. This is the second time you’ve saved my hospital from a potential civil action, which, naturally, means that you’re now one of my favourite people,” Emilio laughed, hoping to put the younger man at ease, clapping him on the back. “I take it you’ve spoken to Jorge?”

 _And there’s the other option._ “I did. It’s given me a lot to think about.”

Hesitating for a moment, the Chief of Surgery pressed his lips into a firm line. “Your aptitude for both neuro and paeds is quite remarkable, no doubt you’d succeed in either specialty. To be honest, I’m not really surprised Dani has made a case. But…”

“But?”

“I think you should know, when we had a meeting to select our interns you were the first we chose. We put you in neuro without a second’s hesitation, you were by far the easiest. But that doesn’t mean we didn’t make the decision carefully.” He let that sink in for a moment, watching as the intern clearly evaluated that bit of information, brow furrowing even more. “At the end of the day the decision is yours but if you’re stuck and want the advice of someone who knows what they’re talking about but isn’t Jorge or Dani, you can always come to me. I’ll help you in whatever way I can.”

Feeling a little overwhelmed, Marc nodded, genuinely grateful for the Chief of Surgery’s offer, even if it only served to confuse him more. “I really appreciate that, Dr Alzamora. I… I hope I don’t disappoint you.”

“Trust me, you don’t have to worry about that.”

*****

Settling onto the couch, Álvaro cuddled up against his boyfriend’s side, Marc’s arm instinctively wrapping around him as the older man’s head came to rest on his shoulder. “I feel like I’ve been working non-stop for the past two weeks. A day off tomorrow sounds like the best thing I’ve ever heard. Would be better if you were off too though…”

“Hmm.”

 _Strange._ “But Alex is coming on Tuesday isn’t he? I guess it’s best to be off then instead. Are your parents still bringing him up so they can visit?”

“As far as I know.”

Sitting up, the whole situation mind-blowingly unfamiliar for him, Álvaro twisted so that he was looking right at his boyfriend, the distant look in his eye making him seriously worried about the younger man’s lack of enthusiasm. “What’s wrong?”

“Hmm?”

 _You’re so out of it tonight._ “What’s _wrong_? You’re so… quiet tonight, it’s worrying me.”

Shaking his head to himself, Marc rubbed his face, knowing it wasn’t fair on Álvaro. “Sorry, it’s just been a strange day…”

“Strange?”

“Yeah. There’s actually something I need to talk to you about.”

 _I thought as much._ The older man swallowed hard, feeling of dread suddenly appearing in his stomach as his blood ran slightly cold. “Are you breaking up with me?”

 _What??_ That made him feel even worse and he managed to smile a bit for the other man’s sake, pulling him in for a quick but purposeful kiss. “I’m not breaking up with you! It’s about work, not us.”

 _Thank god._ “Oh,” Álvaro coughed, cheeks turning pink, “Sorry I just thought… never mind. What’s up?”

“I operated with Dani today.”

“Yeah, he told me you saved his ass. I was very proud,” the blond grinned, threading their fingers together.

“Yeah, well I did. Kinda. But he was being weird afterwards.

 _You have_ got _to be fucking kidding me._ Álvaro’s smile quickly left him, fists beginning to clench by his sides. “He didn’t…”

It took Marc a minute to realise what he was saying, but when he did his eyes almost popped out of his head. “NO. Fuck, definitely not _that_. Don’t worry, I think the chances of _Dani Pedrosa_ making a move on me are about as good as winning the lottery. _Twice_.” _You thought…_ “ He told me I needed to speak to Jorge, which I did. And…”

“And?” Álvaro prompted, looking a little embarrassed after his little misunderstanding.

Leaving out a whoosh of air, the intern bit his lip. “Dani wants me to change specialties, to leave neuro in favour of paeds.”

His boss’ mood now making a lot more sense, Álvaro’s eyebrows practically disappeared into his hairline, massive smile overtaking his face once again. “That’s fantastic! Why didn’t you say something earlier? So you said yes? Is it happening now or are you planning on staying the rest of the week with Jorge?”

 _This is what I was afraid of._ “I haven’t decided whether I want to leave neuro yet.”

“What? Why not?”

“Because I’m… I like it there. A lot. And Jorge and Ricky have been the best-“

“But paeds is what you’ve always wanted! And you now have an opportunity to have it. I don’t see what the problem is! Jorge’s been good to you, I know, but this is where you’re meant to be. You’d be crazy to let this pass!”

Marc bit down on his lip, trying not to let his boyfriend’s excitement get to him, trying not to get caught up in feelings that he didn’t necessarily share. “It _was_ what I wanted, now I’m not too sure. Jorge believed in me from the very beginning, I wouldn’t be half as good as I am if it weren’t for him.”

Taking the younger man’s hand, Álvaro continued to smile, understanding his hesitation. “Dani wouldn’t just make a move for you if he didn’t one hundred percent think that you could be something in paeds.”

“Part of me thinks he just really wants to replace Espargaró and I’ve shown an interest in his specialty.”

“No, that’s not true. Dani wouldn’t step on Emilio and Jorge’s toes for _that_. He doesn’t just give up like that. If he’s sure that he wants you on his team you can be sure that it’s because he _wants_ you. Think about it, it’s the perfect situation: you get what you always wanted, paeds and an attending that really believes in you, and we get to work together. We can be the Jorge and Ricky of the paeds world,” he grinned, leaning in to kiss his boyfriend.

 _I knew this was going to happen. I knew it._ “I know it’s what I wanted I just…”

“What?”

“I just don’t… it’s a big decision and I don’t want to… make it for the wrong reasons.”

An uncomfortable silence fell over them as it finally seemed to click for Álvaro, the apologetic look on Marc’s face enough to tell him all he needed to know and more. “And by wrong reasons you mean me.”

 _Fuck. Fuck fuck fuck._ “Álvaro, that’s not what I meant-“

“It’s because you think we won’t last, right? And you don’t want to end up stuck working with your ex-boyfriend.”

“You’re not being fair-“

“It makes sense now… Why you were so quiet all night, why you didn’t tell me earlier… Would you have even told me if I hadn’t sensed that something was wrong? Or would you have left it up to Dani to tell me?”

Marc’s blood began to boil, the fact that he’s fears had been confirmed making him seethe rather than feel disappointed. _Seriously?_ “You’re being ridiculous. This is a big- huge- decision that will affect the rest of my life so forgive me for not making it based on whose bed I’m sleeping in!”

He regretted the choice of words the moment they’d left his mouth, the destroyed look on Álvaro’s face hitting him like a punch to the stomach, knowing he’d just hurt him more than he’d ever imagined he could. “Álvaro, I didn’t mean-“

“Really? Really, Marc? Because it sounded like you meant every word. You- You know what? Thank you. It’s good to know that’s how you feel, so I can stop wasting my time.”

 _Please don’t do this. I’m_ so _sorry. So, so sorry._ Blinking back the tears, Marc reached out for the hand that had dropped from his, only to find it pulled away again. “Álvaro, I love you-“

Shaking his head to himself, heartbroken so many times that he felt more disappointed with himself than anything, the blond stood, turning his back on the intern. “Don’t. Just… don’t. I think you should leave.”

 _NO._ Following suit, Marc reached out for his hand again, his grip quickly shrugged off. “Don’t do this, _please._ ”

“Go, Marc. _Please_ , just _go._ ”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _But baby I don't mean it..._  
>  I mean it.  
> I promise.


	26. Missing List

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologise for the last chapter! And, well... yeah. I alternate between loving and hating this chapter :/ Sorry it's so broken up...

New Message: Marc

New Message: Marc

6 Missed Calls: Marc

Growling in frustration, Álvaro picked up his phone, deleting every single one without a moment’s hesitation.

*****

The alarm clock pulled Marc from an uneasy sleep, taking him a moment to realise what that actually meant, where he had to be in about an hour’s time. The thought of going to work made him want to cry, especially since he had only managed to get to sleep about three hours ago, tossing and turning all night, obsessing over Álvaro and what he could have done differently to avoid all this…

Picking up his phone, he silenced the alarm but only because he was prompted to do so, searching out something far more important, heart clenching when he found the screen free from any notifications. He checked his call log just in case (despite knowing that he was clutching at straws) only to find that the last message he received _had_ been from his boyfriend, but at five o’clock the previous day.

Álvaro: Hey :) I’m just about to head in to surgery now so I just wanted to know if you’re coming over later on? Feel like I haven’t seen you properly in ages :/ Talk to you later on!

Álvaro: OH! And I love you! Just because I haven’t said that in a while! <3

If Marc had wanted to cry before all choice had now gone out the window, lying in bed with the covers pulled up over his head, reading those two messages over and over again until he couldn’t see through the tears, chest heaving as he struggled to breathe. _I love you too. And now I’ve completely ruined everything._

*****

“Ricky? Have you by any chance seen our intern this morning?” Jorge wandered, frowning as he placed a cup of coffee to go in his husband’s hand, knowing that it was coming to the end of his shift and he would need it to last hour or two.

Pursing his lips, Ricky shook his head after muttering a thanks. “Nope, haven’t seen him since he clocked out last night. What time does his shift start?”

“Started. Twenty minutes ago. I haven’t seen sight nor sound of him.”

_Strange._ “Hmm, he’s probably around here somewhere… Have you asked any of the other interns?”

Gritting his teeth, Jorge grimaced, praying for god to give him patience. “Probably no need, I’m pretty sure I know where I’ll find him.”

*****

Alex: Hey! Just cheeking that it’s still okay for me to come to stay next week?

Alex: Oops! You’re probably working. Or sleeping. Call me when you’re free!

Marc: I’m doing neither. But I really don’t feel like talking at the moment. Call you tomorrow maybe?

_Or whenever I feel like interacting with other human beings again._

Alex: What happened?

Marc: Don’t want to talk about it.

Alex: Is it Álvaro?

That reply to that came slower.

Marc: Don’t want to talk about it.

*****

“Dr Pedrosa,” the neuro attending put on his best patient-friendly smile, finally locating the person he was looking for in the corridor on the fifth floor, engaged in conversation with a man and a woman. _Doesn’t seem to be too serious…_ “Can I have a word?”

Dani looked up, trying to keep his smile from faltering at the sight of Lorenzo, knowing it wouldn’t take a genius to figure out what this was about. “Of course. I’ll be back to check on your daughter in twenty minutes. If you have any questions, please feel free to ask Dr Espargaró.” _That doesn’t mean he’ll be able to answer them though._ “Dr Lorenzo,” he nodded, allowing the Mallorcan to lead the way down the corridor just enough to be out of earshot of any visitors, “What can I do for you?”

_Glad you asked._ “You can tell me where my intern is, to start.”

_What are you talking about?_ “Marc? Why would I know where he is?”

“Don’t play dumb with me, Dani. His shift started nearly half an hour ago and I haven’t so much as caught a glimpse of him, I’m assuming you’ve got him.”

“You’re assuming wrong. I haven’t seen him since we operated together yesterday. I told him to go talk to you.”

“And he did. But I kind of need him now. You know, so he can actually treat patients. Neurological patients.”

Dani shook his head, feeling a little bit bewildered. “I promise you he’s not on my service. I really haven’t seen him since yesterday.”

_What?_ Jorge frowned in confusion, never for a moment thinking that his intern _mightn’t_ be with the paeds attending, especially after everything that had happened the previous day. “Then where is he?”

“I haven’t a clue. And Álvaro’s got the day off today so I can’t even ask him. Sorry, I can’t help you.”

_Álvaro’s got the day off today… You better not fucking have._ “I apologise. Page me if you see him around?”

“Yeah, definitely,” he replied, a little confused himself. Marc Marquez wasn’t the type to just _not_ show up for work. Although given everything they’d dropped on him yesterday he might be forgiven for needing a little time… “Jorge?” Dani called, just as his colleague began to walk away, the neurologist turning back with raised eyebrows, “Don’t be too hard on him, I’m sure there’s a reason.”

_You’d love that, wouldn’t you?_

*****

Ricky: Hey! Hope you’re enjoying your day off :) Just wondering if Marc’s with you? Maybe he forgot that he’s working today with you being off and everything? Because Jorge’s pretty sure that Dani has him and I think he might be ready to fight him…

Álvaro: Nope, not with me. I have no fucking clue where he is and I don’t fucking give a damn either.

The neuro resident’s eyes pretty much bugged out of his head as he read the reply, feeling of dread instantly appearing in his stomach. _WOAH. Salty much._

Ricky: O-kay… I take it something happened?

Álvaro: Yeah, something happened. I think we’re done.

_Fuck._

Ricky: :( Sorry to hear that. Not something that can be fixed? You two are such a good couple.

Álvaro: Don’t know. Don’t think so.

Álvaro: He didn’t show up for work?

Feeling a little relieved by the hint of concern in that message, Ricky released the breath he hadn’t even known he had been holding. _You’re worried about him, that’s at least something. But I hope he hasn’t done anything stupid._

Ricky: His shift started half an hour ago. I don’t think he’s with Dani…

Álvaro: Even more of a child that I thought then.

_And there goes the hope._

*****

10:51

_FUCK_.

Bleary eyed, having cried himself back to sleep without his knowledge, Marc caught sight of the clock, almost needing to be sick on the spot. _Not only is my love life a disaster, I’m also going to be fired for being late._ The crippling anxiety he felt was just too much, almost deciding to give up and pack it all in right there and then before remembering that _that_ wasn’t the person that Lorenzo and Pedrosa were fighting for. _That_ wasn’t the person they believed in.

_I can make it. I may be a couple of minutes late but I can make it._

Practically jumping out of bed, Marc grabbed the first set of clothes that he could find, not caring at all if they matched or not. He could wear a yellow clown suit for all he cared as long as it got him there on time.

_Please don’t fire me. Please don’t fire me._

*****

“UGH.” Dropping his head onto the counter next to his friend, Aleix looking at him as if he’d completely lost the plot, Ricky sighed. “I need to go home.”

“Long shift?” the general resident wondered, eyebrow arched playfully as he continued to update his patient’s chart.

_You have no fucking idea._ “It’s been twenty two hours. My hu- attending is engaged in a duel to the death with ‘Dani fucking Pedrosa’, over _my_ intern, who just happens to be missing after breaking up with _my_ best friend who is now in an awful mood and only replies passive aggressively to my texts.”

_What…_ Aleix blinked, trying to piece all that together eventually concluding that there was three pieces of information in there. Put simply: Dani and Jorge are fighting over Marc, Marc and Álvaro broke up, Marc is missing. “Don’t tell Pol, he might stage a coup in his absence.”

“Not the time! Jorge’s gone looking for him on the fifth floor but he’s not going to find him there and then _I’m_ going to have to explain that Marc isn’t actually _here_. And that means I’m probably not going to be able to go home. Ugh, why did Álvaro have to get all cute with my intern? Why couldn’t it have been yours?”

“I don’t think Johann is his type…”

“Who even thought that was a good idea anyway?”

Chuckling, the general resident shook his head to himself. “Who indeed… Tell me, how’s your husband these days?”

_Fuck off._ “Not the same. I was a resident.”

“I distinctly remember you coming to me with a red face and a-“

“OKAY! We’re not going to go there, thank you very much,” Ricky grimaced, cheeks turning pink as he looked around to make sure that no one had head that, “I’m going to go mope somewhere else now. And hide from my husband. You didn’t see anything…”

*****

It wasn’t until the door slammed shut behind him that Marc frantically patted down his pockets, letting out a low wail when he failed to find his keys, wanting to drop to his knees and just die after realising that he’d just locked them inside the apartment. “WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS TO ME? WHAT DID I DO IN A PREVIOUS LIFE TO DESERVE THIS?”

Going to work was the last thing he wanted to do, but no, he said he would ignore his own suffering and go and save lives instead. And this was the thanks he got for it? Already late, having to find a taxi to take to work instead of his own car…

The spare key at Álvaro’s.

*****

“7 euro…”

_Seven? Don’t have seven. Here take twenty. No time for change. Work. Surgery. Good day._

He was just about to close the door when he realised that he’d left his jacket in the back, just snatching it before the driver could drive away, not caring that it had started to pour down after he’d gotten in outside his apartment building, willing to get wet if it shaved a couple of seconds off his journey.

Inside, a queue had formed outside the elevator, in keeping with his luck so he sprinted for the stairs, wondering what he looked like to those casually going about their business in the lobby. Probably like a father who was late for the birth of his first child. _Speaking of which…_

He took the stairs two by two, no one in his way to avoid until there was, narrowly managing to avoid someone who was coming from the opposite direction. “Shit!” Marc swerved so they wouldn’t collide and tumble down the three flights of stairs like Jack and Jill.

“ _Marc?”_

_Fuck my life._ “Dr Pedrosa, hi, I-“

“I should give you a warning,” the older man began, looking the wet, red intern up and down, “Lorenzo came looking for you.”

“I know, I’m late. I- alarm- crying- fell asleep- locked my keys in the apartment- Ál-“

_Woah._ “Marc, are you alright?”

“Fine,” he sniffed, crying in front of Dani Pedrosa bottom of the list of things he _never_ wanted to do, “I’m fine.”

_That is not what fine looks like._ Genuinely concerned, Dani placed his hand on the other man’s arm, bringing him to a complete halt. “Okay, _breathe_. No matter how late you are, you won’t be able to help anybody when you’re _dead._ Breathe.”

Marc tried, but it was harder than it looked. Placing his hands above his knees, the neuro intern leaned forward, trying to get control of the air entering his lungs, all the crying blocking up his nose and making it that little bit more difficult. _I’m going to pass out. Can’t breathe._ “I-“

“Shh, it’s okay. Just relax. Everything is going to be fine, okay? We all have these kind of days. Jorge will understand, trust me. Just sit down on the stairs until you catch your breath, I’ll stay here with you…”

*****

“You paged?”

“I found your intern.”

More than a little bit surprised given what he’d managed to get out of Ricky, Jorge’s eyebrows shot up. “You found him? Where?”

_You don’t look too angry._ “His keys got locked into his apartment, I ran into him on the stairs and he was in full panic mode. Apparently he hasn’t had a good morning.”

“I can imagine…”

“Okay, twenty minutes ago you were angry and now you suddenly understand?”

_I probably shouldn’t be telling you this but if your resident comes back in as bad a mood…_ “Álvaro broke up with him last night from what I manage to prise from Ricky… I think this thing we have going on with him is putting him under too much pressure.”

Dani sighed, rubbing his face. “I agree. For once. I’ll lay off a bit if it’s doing _that_ to him. I thought I would have to have him sedated there for a moment…”

_Fuck._ “Okay, thanks anyway. I’ll go find him and have a chat. And thanks for looking after him.”

“I’m a doctor… it’s my job.”

_Yep. Definitely not because you have a heart no matter how hard you try to hide it…_


	27. A Town Called Yesterday

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Got this finished quicker than I thought so here you go! ♥

The look of pity on his resident’s face was enough to make Marc cringe, gaze dropping to the floor like a scolded puppy. “Sorry I’m late.”

 _I’m surprised you even showed up at all to be honest._ From the look of the younger man, Ricky wouldn’t have blamed him if he called in sick altogether. _It’s not like you’d have any problem convincing anyone that you were actually ill._ “Don’t worry about it,” he smiled, handing his intern a chart just to give him something to do, “You’re here now.”

“You spoke to Álvaro?”

“Yeah… briefly. He seems to be in a _fantastic_ mood.”

 _I know the feeling._ Pretending his heart didn’t break all over again at that innocent observation, Marc bit down on the inside of his cheek, hoping the physical pain would take away some of the emotional. The worst part was that nothing had changed for Ricky, he’d continue to call, text, hang out with Álvaro but Marc was left with an unfinished relationship and a stony silence. “I have a favour to ask you but I think it may be too big…”

“Marc… I can’t- He won’t-“

Blinking back the tears once again, the younger man shook his head. “I don’t want you to try to convince him to do anything. I just… I locked my keys in my apartment this morning because I was running late and the only other key is at his- well, _your_ place.”

“Ah… I see. I’m finished my shift soon so I’ll run back, grab the key and get it back here to you as soon as possible.”

“There’s no rush, I’ll… be here for a while. Take your time.”

 _Who knows if you’ll last the whole shift…_ “Still, I’ll be quick, just in case…”

Giving his thanks, Marc opened the patient’s file, trying desperately to get back into the work headspace so he wouldn’t wander around the hospital like a lost soul that no one wanted to treat them, never mind perform surgery on them. _Severe migraines. I can do severe migraines. And numbness, I can do that too. Happy, helpful surgeon, that’s me._

“I’ll leave you to it then…”

 _Wait._ “Ricky?”

The older man turned again, eyebrows raised at the obvious conflict on the intern’s face. “Yeah?”

Marc chewed on his lip for a moment before he finally got the courage to say the words. “Do me a favour… make sure he’s okay.”

 _Well that wasn’t exactly what I was expecting._ “Of course.”

“And Ricky?”

“Hmm?”

“Please don’t hate me when he tells you.”

*****

“Marc.” Jorge had to blink twice when he spotted his intern strolling purposely towards the hospital room, smile on his face even though it didn’t quite reach his eyes. _This is strange._

The younger man nodded politely. “Dr Lorenzo. You’re here for the consult?”

“Yeah… I’m here for the consult. Is everything okay?”

 _In other words, are you about to have a nervous breakdown in front of my patient?_ “Everything’s fine.”

Not exactly overcome with confidence, the attending arched an eyebrow, searching the younger man’s face for any hint of instability. He found nothing, which either meant that Marc was really good at keeping his emotions in check or he was genuinely okay. _Definitely the former._ Not wanting to patronise him, Jorge replied with a tight smile and a ‘good’. “Alright then, you lead the way.”

Marc was the picture of professionalism. And possibly the greatest actor he’d ever come across in his life, so much so that the younger man had Jorge doubting whether or not that morning had even happened at all, if he’d dreamed it all up. He interacted with the patient as he always did, assuring her as he always did, confident as he always was in his knowledge.

But facades can only last so long and the attending saw the truth of the situation the minute they stepped outside the door once again, the twinkle in his eye quickly fading away until he just looked tired and worn out. _At least I know you’re not a robot._ “I think we should do a CT as soon as possible. Hopefully it will be as minor as I think it is but I don’t want to miss a bleed or a tumour.”

Marc nodded, tucking the file beneath his arm. “I’ll get right on it.”

“Marc?”

“Yeah?”

“Maybe have some coffee and something to eat first.”

He bit back the urge to make a snarky reply, torn between being touched that his mentor actually cared and just wanting everyone to stop looking at him with those pitiful expressions. “I already did, but thanks.”

_And we both know that’s not true._

*****

Thankfully, since Marc had actually appeared, Ricky managed to finish his shift on time, heading back to the apartment for a long overdue sleep. But there were some things he needed to do first…

“Anybody here?” he called out after unlocking the door, frowning to himself when he found the kitchen and sitting room fully illuminated, half expecting his best friend to have taken some decorating tips from Crypts’R’US.

“I’m here!” the familiar voice replied, Álvaro appearing a couple of seconds later with a red face and a towel wrapped around his waist. “Sorry, I’m just about to jump in the shower. I’ll be really quick so the noise won’t keep you awake.”

 _What the fuck._ “What were you doing?”

Arching an eyebrow, the paeds resident observed his best friend warily. “I went for a run?”

 _A run. You went for a run and your boyfriend is having probably the worst day of his life._ “I didn’t think you’d be in the mood today, with everything that happened…”

And there it was, the tell, that little flicker of emotion on Álvaro’s face that Ricky had long figured out, that minute change that gave everything away. “I’m fine.”

“Really? Because Marc isn’t…”

“Well that’s _Marc’s_ fault, isn’t it? And I don’t want to talk about him.”

 _Fine._ Ricky shrugged, knowing this battle wouldn’t be won right away, knowing only too well that the longer you gave Álvaro, the more likely he was to spill his guts. Especially if he thought you didn’t really care. “Right. Well, I need the key to his apartment. Take as long as you want in the shower, I’ll be back in a while.” The blond’s eyes almost bugged out of his head, giving the neuro resident just a _little_ bit of satisfaction. _Is that jealousy I see?_

“What are you doing in Marc’s apartment??”

“He locked his keys inside this morning on the way to work so he asked me if I could get it for him since… well, you obviously know.”

Blinking a couple of times, Álvaro folded his arms across his chest. “Oh. It’s in that decorative bowl on the stand next to the door.”

“Got it,” Ricky smiled, grabbing the key before opening the door once again. “See you in around half an hour.” _And then I’m going to get everything out of you._

*****

Stopping in his tracks as soon as he entered the locker room, Marc’s heart jolted a little as he saw the unfamiliar face peering around a locker door, smiling in a way that kind of made him feel uncomfortable. “Who the fuck are you?”

The tall, dark haired man stepped out from behind the door, extending his hand. “You must be Marquez,” he grinned as Marc warily shook it, wondering whether or not he should call security, “You weren’t here this morning…”

“I know… And I still don’t know who you are.”

“I’m Alex. Well, Dr Rins. I work here now.”

 _You do?_ “Huh?”

Rins frowned, beginning to wonder if the other interns had been pulling his leg when they spoke about Marc Marquez… “I’m the new OB intern. I’m replacing-“

“Dr Miller, right. I almost forgot about that.” _And I already think you’re on a better footing than he was._ “I’m Marc, neuro.” _Possibly soon to be paeds. Maybe I shouldn’t get the business cards printed just yet._

“Nice to finally put a face to the name. I feel like I have a lot to catch up on…”

 _As pleasant as this has been…_ “Don’t worry,” Marc began, locating then pen light he’d, unsurprisingly, forgotten, “Nothing much happens around here anyway…”

*****

“Are you fucking serious??”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Álvaro wondered, offended, despite his best attempts, by his best friend’s outburst.

 _What’s-_ “You better tell me that there’s some other reason that you think you and Marc are over. Because all I’m hearing right now is that you were an asshole.”

“ _I_ was an asshole? Do you know what he said? I’ll remind you! He said he wasn’t going to make a decision based on whose bed he was fucking sleeping in!”

Shrugging in exasperation, Ricky resisted the urge to roll his eyes. “So what? That seems perfectly reasonable to me. And whose bed was he sleeping in? _Yours._ ”

 _Oh fuck off._ “If that’s all he thinks of this-“

“That’s _not_ all he thinks of this and you know it. In fact, it’s pretty evident from the fact that your fucking attending had to calm him down so he didn’t kill himself with a panic attack. You _ruined_ him Álvaro! He’s like a sad, abandoned puppy.”

The paeds resident’s stomach twisted for some unknown reason. Well, not exactly unknown; you can’t just go from loving someone to not giving a damn about them in such a short period of time, at least not from his experience. “Are you saying I should have just laughed it off? He _hurt_ me, Ricky. He didn’t need to say those things.”

The other man sighed, shoulders slumping slightly as he leaned back on the couch, glad that he was finally getting to the root of the problem. “I understand that he could have put it more delicately but you have to understand where he’s coming from. This whole thing was a massive shock for him, he’s being forced to make a choice that could potentially define his career and he wanted the advice and guidance of someone he loves and respects. You were wrong in how you went about trying to convince him, that would only be too clear if you put yourself in his shoes.”

“I don’t see the problem! You can’t exactly say much…”

 _There we go._ “Right, but you’re assuming you two are like Jorge and I and that’s just not true. You’re not Jorge and he’s not me. We’re both neurosurgeons, we could write a manual on how each other work. You’re a paediatrician, Marc’s more like Jorge and I than he is like you. And that works for the two of you but you have to stop comparing your relationship to mine. Working with your partner doesn’t work for everyone and Marc is understandably wary of that. He’d be crazy not to be. In fact he would lose a lot of my respect if he let that be the defining factor.”

Álvaro let that sink in for a minute, crease appearing between his brows as he mulled it over, trying to come to terms with the insight he’d just been given. And, no matter how he tried, he couldn’t help but feel that he had in fact overreacted, a knee jerk reaction to his previous experience. _They want you until they don’t._ His chest felt tight, the feeling from the previous night when it was still salvageable making him ache once again. All the the feelings that he'd forced himself to suppress. “Fine,” he sighed, holding up his hands, “ _Fine_ , I acknowledge that I could have handled the situation more… delicately. Is he… is he really that upset?”

 _You have no idea._ “He’s hiding it well I think. But to anyone who’s used to being around him it’s obvious that something’s not right. But he…”

“He…?”

“He didn’t ask me to convince you of anything. He just asked me to make sure that you were okay. And you know what he said then?”

Swallowing hard, Álvaro nodded, knowing the answer would probably make him seem like the biggest asshole to ever walk the earth.

“He said ‘don’t hate me when he tells you’.”

_How is it you managed to break my heart twice in less than twenty four hours?_

*****

**Álvaro Bautista added you!**

**Alex Marquez has accepted your friend request.**

Álvaro Bautista: Hey! I hope it’s okay I added you… I wanted to talk about something.

Alex Marquez: Hi :) Sure, no problem! Fire away

Álvaro Bautista: Have you spoken to Marc?

Alex Marquez: Briefly… He didn’t want to talk though. I kinda assumed it was about you…

Álvaro Bautista: Yeah, it was about me… :/ Are you still coming up with your parents tomorrow?

Alex Marquez: Is everything okay? Yeah, they think we’re having dinner with you and Marc…? :/

_Meaning: Is there still a you and Marc?_

Álvaro Bautista: Not at the moment, but I hope it will be.


	28. Surprise

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hmm, so yeah... this one has been a long time coming! :) :/

Alex: We’re running late :/ Can we meet you at the restaurant instead of going to yours first?

Marc: Yeah that’s fine. Gives me more time to make the place look presentable

Alex: If you’re not careful mom will be in Barcelona every Wednesday…

Marc: Is it bad that I would be okay with that? :/

Alex: Oh, by the way… please don’t tell them anything about Álvaro

Alex: It’s not like I could even if I wanted to. You kinda never told me anything…

Alex: But I’m pretty sure that they’re under the impression that he’s going to be there

Marc: I know :/ I haven’t decided what I’m going to tell them yet.

Marc: But promise me anyway

Alex: You don’t even need to ask

*****

Álvaro: Hi, just wanted to let you know that I know you didn’t mean what you said the other night. I overreacted and I’m sorry

Marc almost died of shock when he received the message, heart hammering even more than it had been when his phone had buzzed in his pocket and he’d pulled it out only to see his (ex?) boyfriend’s name on the screen. He’d been expecting an official end to things, preparing himself for it, but that… that was the last thing he was expecting. With shaky fingers, he composed a reply; typing, deleting, re-typing…

Marc: I’m glad. Sorry for how it sounded :/ I just… It’s been a weird couple of days

The reply to that took a couple of minutes, leaving the neuro intern wondering if it would ever come at all. He put the phone down, picked it up again, set it down again… Got up, walked around the kitchen and most definitely did _not_ dive over the couch like a maniac when it buzzed on top of a cushion.

Álvaro: Yeah, I think I understand better now. And I think we should talk

Marc: That’s a good idea. My parents are in town tonight…

Álvaro: I remember. We’ll sort something out soon, okay?

Marc: Okay. Álvaro?

Álvaro: Yeah?

Marc: I really am sorry

Álvaro: I know, me too

*****

Álvaro: I texted him

Alex: And? How did it go??

Álvaro: I think we may be okay…

*****

“We came all the way from Cervera and _you’re_ the one that’s late?” Julia joked, clapping his son on the back as he embraced him, the surgeon _finally_ making it to the restaurant, before making way for his wife to give him a big kiss.

“Don’t mind him,” Roser tutted, squeezing him tightly before he hands came to rest on his cheeks, “You look pale, darling.”

“Hmm, it’s been a stressful week. Work has been crazy.”

“What’s happened?”

Letting out a whoosh of air, Marc exchanged a smile with his brother, giving him a half hug before taking his seat next to the younger man. “I’ve been given the opportunity to switch to a different specialty and, basically, I haven’t got a clue what I’m going to do.” _And my boyfriend kinda hates me at the moment._

“To paeds by any chance?” Alex wondered, things beginning to fall into place, the bits and pieces he’d been given by Álvaro not enough to paint a complete picture.

Marc frowned as he poured himself a glass of water. “Yeah, actually.”

Roser’s lips made a small ‘o’ shape. “That’s Álvaro’s specialty, isn’t it? Speaking of which, is he running later?”

Grimacing, fighting the urge to look to desolate, Marc bit his lip. He’d already planned his excuses earlier in the day but couldn’t shake the fear that his parents would see right through him. _Although I don’t feel as helpless as I did then…_ “Álvaro-“

“Sorry I’m late,” the paeds resident grinned, causing Marc to jump about a foot into the air as he came up behind him, hands coming to rest on the younger man’s shoulders. “I was trying to get away from the hospital for ages but, well, you know… And I should probably introduce myself; I’m Álvaro.”

 _What the actual fuck? What the hell are you doing here?_ Marc swallowed hard, trying to look happy instead of completely and utterly bewildered. _Because that’s how someone usually looks when their other half shows up._

His parents stood again, Julia shaking hands with the paeds resident while Roser gave him a kiss on the cheek, both seemingly delighted to finally meet their son’s boyfriend.

“Álvaro! So good to finally meet you. We’ve heard so much.”

 _Not everything apparently._ “The pleasure is mine. I’m just glad I could get the evening off to be here, it would have been a shame to miss it.”

“That it would, Please, sit.”

Doing as he was told, Álvaro pulled out the free seat next to Marc that the younger man hadn’t taken any notice of. “Hi,” he smiled bashfully at the younger man, sure that Marc was the only one who could see the meaning behind it.

“Hi,” the neuro intern barely managed to choke out, heart hammering against his ribs as Álvaro leaned in and placed a kiss, quick but significant, on his lips. The contact seemed to burn Marc but it the best possible way. _I have a boyfriend. I_ still _have a boyfriend. Who is here. Who is randomly here._ “I didn’t think you would make it…”

“Neither did I for a while, but I’m here now.”

“Have you two been here before? What would you recommend?” Roser wondered, trying to act as natural as possible as she observed the couple over her menu.

Álvaro took the lead once again, allowing his boyfriend time to wrap his head around everything, sure Marc caught the wry smile he’d exchanged with Alex. “The seafood here is amazing. I had the scallops the last time and they were to die for. We came here on our second date, didn’t we?”

“Pff, how could I forget? The date was lovely,” the neuro intern quickly added, seeing the look of playful offense on the older surgeon’s face, “It’s just afterwards things took a turn for the worst…”

“It wasn’t _that_ bad…”

“Álvaro, we found a dying man and ended up back at the hospital on our night off.”

The reactions to that were quite diverse; Julia shook his head, chuckling softly as he took a sip of water, Roser seemed incredibly concerned while Alex laughed his trademark intense, silent laugh. “You know what they say; the couple who saves lives together and all that…”

*****

Álvaro jumped a little as someone cleared their throat behind him, looking into the mirror to see that Marc was getting him back for earlier on. “Hey.”

 _Hey, he says._ “Hey…” the younger man chuckled in disbelief, crossing his arms as Álvaro turned off the tap and grabbed a couple of sheets of paper from the dispenser, “’We’ll talk soon’… I forgot how literal you are.”

“I’m sorry, I should have told you I was coming. I was just afraid you’d think it would be too awkward and say no… And Alex seemed to think it was a good idea.”

 _I knew it._ “Yeah, I could see that. You two aren’t exactly as subtle as you think you are… And, just so you know, I’m not mad. Just surprised seeing as yesterday we were practically broken up and now you’re having dinner with my parents.”

Chucking the paper towels in the bin, the blond turned to face his boyfriend, hands coming to rest on the younger man’s hips so that he could pull him closer, looking right into those big brown eyes. “You’re not wrong. What you said… What you said, it hurt and for a small while, for me, we were broken up. You have to understand, I’ve been there before, I’ve been tossed aside so quickly that- Anyway, it doesn’t matter. I spoke to Ricky and he made me realise how unfair I’d been, especially since things are so up in the air for you at the moment. So I’m sorry that I overreacted, I’m sorry that I shut you out and I’m sorry I showed up here without talking to you first. I’ll understand if it’s not enough but I want you to know that I haven’t stopped loving you. Not for a minute. Even though I convinced myself that I did.”

“It’s enough,” Marc whispered, unable to help himself as soon as he saw the seriousness in the older man’s eyes. “I love you, I- Thinking you didn’t love me anymore, that it was over, was killing me. When you sent that text earlier on… I was- I felt like I could breathe again, even if just a little bit.”

“It’s not over,” Álvaro assured him, moving his hands from Marc’s hips to cup his cheeks, “Move to paeds, stay in neuro… it doesn’t make a difference to me. I’ll support you no matter what you choose to do, I’ll even get Dani off your back if he’s pushing too hard. If you forgive me, I’ll never hurt you again.”

 _You shouldn’t promise me that. But I’m not going to stop you._ “I forgive you,” Marc nodded, pressing his lips forcefully against his boyfriend’s, letting out a little squeal when Álvaro chuckled against his mouth, hoisting him up so that his thighs were wrapped around his hips.

“Marc? Álvar- Oh! Uhm,” Alex coughed, not knowing whether to laugh or blush furiously at the sight of his brother and his boyfriend like that, “Mom and dad were, uhm, wondering where you’d gotten to and I thought that maybe you had a fight or something but… obviously not. But, uh, you two should probably come back soon or it’ll be dad mom sends the next time.”

“Uh, yeah, just give us one more minute. Tell them Álvaro was filling me in on a case we were working together.”

 _Cause they’re really going to believe that._ “Yeah, sure…”

*****

“So, Álvaro, you have to come visit us in Cervera sometime. Next time both you and Marc are available. Come, have dinner and stay the night. Don’t worry, we won’t make you sleep in separate beds,” Roser smirked, eliciting a cough from her eldest son.

Marc shivered, wishing he’d thought to bring a jacket down from his apartment, much warmer up there than it was on the footpath outside the building. Álvaro chuckled, pulling the younger man close to his side. “We will. I’ll make sure he doesn’t forget,” he grinned, pressing a kiss against Marc’s temple.

“Take care of each other and keep, I don’t know, saving lives?” Julia hugged them both before getting into the driver’s seat of the car as his wife bid farewell to the couple.

“Come here, “ she pulled Marc into a massive hug, never knowing how long it would be until she saw him again, “Make sure your brother doesn’t get up to any mischief.”

Álvaro chuckled, more than a little touch when Roser moved onto him. “I think it’s more likely that Alex will have to make sure that Marc doesn’t get up to mischief.”

“You’re probably right but at least I can be assured that you’ll keep him on the straight and narrow.”

“Hey! I’m right here and I’ll have you know that I’m very well behaved.”

“Of course you are, darling.”

“Ha! Don’t darling me!”

Rolling her eyes, Roser climbed into the car. “Bye boys.”

Leaning into his boyfriend’s embrace, Marc gave one last wave. “Safe trip.”

*****

“Someone’s looking brighter this morning,” Ricky commented, grin quickly appearing at the sight of a much happier looking Marc when he showed up (on time) for his shift.

 _Like you haven’t heard._ “Hmm, I sure am. And I know that has a lot to do with you, so thank you. I’d probably still be miserable if you hadn’t talked some sense into him.”

 _Job well done._ “You don’t need to thank me, he was being an idiot.”

 _Maybe just a little bit._ “Still, I’m happy now because of you so if you ever need a favour, just shout.”

Chuckling, Ricky shook his head. “Well you’re on ER duty this afternoon so if you could do that I’d very much appreciate it.”

“I’m on it,” Marc laughed, grabbing the stack of charts that were perched on the countertop. Observing the younger man in silent amusement, the resident thought that maybe he should set his best friend on the right path more often. _Good Álvaro= eager intern. Noted._

*****

“Woah!”

Marc was just minding his own business, moving from one patient to another when something ran into him, or rather, _someone_. Someone little. He looked down to see that a young girl, blond and tiny, had bounced off his legs, letting out a cry as she clutched her right arm. The neuro intern almost melted when she looked up at him with watery mocha coloured eyes. _Those are kicked puppy eyes if I’ve ever seen them._

“Hey… are you okay?” he wondered, speaking softly as he crouched down to her level.

The little girl shook her head. “I hurt my arm.”

“Well, I think I can help you with that. Mind if I take a look?” She nodded, wincing as she extended her arm for him to examine. It didn’t take a genius to see that it was broken –badly- and for a moment he wondered how she wasn’t screaming the place down. “It must hurt a lot.”

“It does,” she pouted, bottom lip jutted out.

“What’s your name?”

“Carla.”

Wiping some of the tears from her cheeks, Marc smiled reassuringly. “I’m Marc. Carla, is your mommy around? I need to talk to her before I can fix your arm.”

“My mama isn’t here. My babysitter is but I can’t find her. I got lost trying to look for my papá.”

Marc nodded, relieved that they were at least around there somewhere. “Okay, Carla, I’m going to lift you up onto this bed and then I’m going to find your babysitter and your father.” He completely the first part, the girl light and very portable, but the second part proved to be unnecessary.

“Carla! There you are!” Turning, Marc’s eyes fell on a young woman, no more than twenty one, with deep red hair, hand resting over her heart as she came to a halt beside the bed. “You frightened the life out of me! I thought I’d lost you.”

Carla now looked the picture of guilt. “Sorry, Magda.”

“I’m Dr Marquez,” he smiled, offering his hand for her to shake.

“Magdalena. I’m Carla’s-“

“Babysitter. She told me. I’ve just taken a quick look at her arm and from what I can tell she’s got a radial break. I’ll have to take an x-ray to see the full extent of the damage but it’s nothing too major.”

“Oh thank god. I just got a call to collect her from school, I was so worried.

Glancing back at the little girl, now sitting like an angel on the examination bed, Marc shook his head. “No need to worry. She’s a brave little one though, it’s a very painful injury-“

“Magdalena?”

A male voice interrupted them, all three pairs of eyes turning to the person who’d just appeared, seemingly out of nowhere.

“Dani!”

Putting two and two together, the paediatrician’s eyes moved from her to Marc and then… “Carla? What happened?” He rushed to the little girl’s side, scooping her up into his arms, leaving Marc very confused. Until…

“Papá!” the blond squealed, none of the other three noticing how Marc’s jaw practically hit the floor with a thud.

 _Papá…?_  


	29. Sweet Child of Mine

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So after posting this originally last night I convinced myself I made a dog's dinner of it so I deleted again... turns out the massive changes I had to make weren't so massive :/ It's here to stay this time though, I promise. Let me know what you think because this one was difficult to get right and I'm still not convinced...

Managing to recover before things became too weird, Marc cleared his throat, more to regain his ability to speak than anything, eyes never leaving the attending and the little girl in his arms.

“Suspected radial fracture, I was going to wait until I spoke to the parents before I called for an x-ray.”

Frowning, almost forgetting about the younger man’s presence, Dani’s eyes flicked up to Marc once again, taking in what he was saying before setting his daughter down once again so that he could take a look at her arm. “I think you may be right. Well, I’m her father so… go ahead.”

 _You’re her father._ “O-okay. Yeah, I’ll do that. We can sort the consent forms out later on…”

“Dani, I’m so sorry. I got a call to collect her from school and I was trying to get in contact-“

“Magda, it’s fine. I understand how hard it is to get in touch with me, don’t worry,” the paeds attending assured the young woman, attention quickly returning to his little girl, brushing her tear stained cheeks with his thumbs. “Does it hurt a lot?” Carla nodded, eyes watering again as she bit her lip, burying her face in her father’s chest, “It’s okay baby, Dr Marquez will give you something to make you feel better.”

Marc smiled, still a little out of it after the revelation. “That’s right. Dani, I can take care of her if there’s somewhere you need to be…”

The attending’s brow creased, looking down at his pager to make sure there was nothing he’d missed. “I have one or two patients to check on. Is it okay if I go up to the fifth floor while you’re going for the x-ray? Page me as soon as you’re done and I’ll be back.”

“Of course. Take as long as you need.”

“Carla, this is Marc. He’s Papá’s friend so he’ll look after you, okay? I have some sick patients to check on, will you be okay without me for a little while?”  

Carla nodded, looking curiously between the two men. “Okay. I’ll go with him. Can we get some cake later? Please?”

Chuckling, some of the fear he’d originally felt evaporating, Dani carefully hugged his daughter, pressing a kiss into her soft blond hair. “We can get as much cake as you want. I’ll be back soon, I promise. Madga, you can take off. Marc’s got it from here and I’ll be finished in an hour or two…”

“Are you sure? I really don’t mind waiting with her.”

“It’s fine. I’ll be here with her. I’m sure Emilio won’t mind cutting me some slack…”

The redhead seemed reluctant to leave, bidding farewell to her employer and her change nonetheless, wishing Carla a swift recovery before she left.

“Pedrosa Marchal.”

 _What?_ “Hmm?”

Now that there was only the two of them left, the whole situation felt a lot more awkward, the unasked and unanswered questions hanging over them. _I’ve got a child and you had no idea._ “Her name on her file. Carla Pedrosa Marchal.”

“Oh, right.” _She has another name. But then again I don’t know what I was thinking._ “Well, how about we get you something to stop the pain and then we’ll go up to the second floor and get a cool picture taken of that broken bone?”

“Can I take the picture to school?”

Chuckling, Marc briefly exchanged an amused look with his colleague, crouching down so that she was at eye level once again. “Well, your papa is a very important doctor… So I think maybe we can get him to get another copy of it for you to show your friends at school. But we won’t tell anyone that’s the reason for it, okay?”

Pressing her index finger against her lips, Carla nodded enthusiastically. “Okay!”

*****

“Are we going up to my papá’s floor?” Carla wondered, swinging her legs as Marc pushed her wheelchair, which she didn’t really need with a broken arm but he’d always found it an easy method of keeping the children where they were.

 _You obviously know quite a bit about the hospital._ “No. You’re papá’s floor is the fifth floor, we’re only going up to the first. That’s where all the x-ray machines are.”

“Oh, okay. Marc?”

The intern couldn’t quite get over how bizarre the whole thing was; there he was, wheeling Dani Pedrosa’s daughter around the hospital when half an hour ago he didn’t even know she existed. “Yeah?”

“Do you work on the fifth floor with my papá?”

 _Potentially._ “Nope, I work on the first floor. I’m a neurosurgeon, that means-“

“That you work with brains, I know,” Carla informed him, seeming a little bit offended that he felt the need to explain it to her.

Eyes widening, Marc chuckled. “Sorry, most seven year olds don’t… But I suppose when your father is a surgeon it’s a little bit different. Anyway, I work on the first floor because sometimes we need to get x-rays and scans _really_ quickly so it’s better for our patients. We can save more lives.”

“That makes sense. Do you like it?”

“I do, actually, I love it. Saving lives is just the best feeling in the world.”

Pursing her lips, Carla gave a dramatic shake of her head. “I don’t think I would like to be a surgeon like you or my papa. He’s never home so I have to stay with Magdalena. She’s nice but I prefer being with him.”

Marc almost stopped dead, the sincerity in the little girl’s words making his heart break. There was no denying she was right, even with an accommodating employer it was incredibly difficult to work hours that would be suitable for parenting. But he supposed there was no way around it, Dani would have found a way if there was he had no doubt. _And it’s a little bit different if there’s a mother in the picture..._ “Your papá loves you and I’m sure he does the best he can to spend as much time as he can with you. Sometimes it just isn’t possible. But Dani… he’s amazingly good at what he does and so many children just like you have been saved because of him.”

“Like a superhero!”

 _You are too adorable. Dani better watch out, I might just runaway with you._ Grinning, the neuro intern reached down and ruffled her soft blond hair with his hand. “Definitely like a superhero.”

*****

“Papá! Look at my broken bone!” Carla beamed, painkillers obviously working, as she waved the x-ray around, Dani quickly sharing an amused glance with Marc before taking the film from his daughter, holding it up to the light.

“Ouch! I’ll have to wrap you up in cotton wool from now on.”

“Pretty impressive, isn’t it?” Marc chuckled, putting the brakes on the wheel chair as his colleague lifted the little girl back up onto the bed.

“Hmm, very impressive. I just wish she’d be impressive with something else though, isn’t that right?” he joked, pressing a kiss against the blond mop of hair, mostly free from the small hair tie. Marc most certainly did not take the opportunity to confirm that there was no ring on his colleague’s left hand while Dani fixed her hair, looking decidedly anywhere but at the older man when Dani’s eyes moved back onto him. “So no screws or plates needed?”

 _What? Oh!_ “No, nothing but the conventional plaster cast. But now, little girl, you have a very important decision to make…”

“What?” Carla giggled, leaning against her father’s stomach.

“What colour cast you want. Do you like pink? I’m thinking pink.”

“Pink!”

“I thought so. I’ll just go get everything I need and I’ll be back in a minute.”

*****

“Fancy seeing you around here…”

Marc didn’t even need to turn to figure out who the voice belonged to, giving a little roll of his eyes as a pair of hands snaked around his front, pulling him flush against the older man’s body. “The supply room? Really, Álvaro? Following me into _supply rooms_ now?”

The truth was, Álvaro was more than willing to follow his boyfriend anywhere now, appreciating Marc so much more since he’d almost lost him, not wanting to take a moment for granted. “I just happened to be walking by. Any surgeries planned today or are you free for lunch?”

Contemplating for a moment whether or not the resident knew about his boss’ child, wondering if he should keep it quiet regardless, Marc bit his lip, tucking the materials under his arm as he turned to face the older man. “Nope, no surgeries today. I’m on pit duty. But I do have an interesting patient…”

“Interesting?”

“Well, I suppose _surprising_ is probably a better word. Did you… did you know that Dani has a daughter?”

Álvaro’s eyes widened, but not for the reason his boyfriend would expect. “Carla is here?”

 _Right, so you know. That’s not exactly unexpected._ “Yep, with a broken arm. I was a little shocked…”

 _I’m sure you were._ Letting his hands drop slightly, the older man frowned, chewing on his lip. “Dani likes to keep his private life private. I met her once or twice since the start of my residency but other than that…”

“So I keep this to myself?”

“I think he would really appreciate it. He trusts you so I don’t think he’ll say anything in particular but…”

Marc found himself nodding, really understanding the attending’s desire to have some aspect of his life that was segregated from hospital life, knowing he’d probably want that for himself were it not for Álvaro being a member of staff himself. “Of course, I won’t say a word to anyone. She’s a beautiful child though, so like him but not at the same time.”

“Mmm, she’s lucky to have a father like him. He absolutely adores that girl.”

From what the neuro intern could tell, Álvaro was very much right. Stifling the urge to ask about the girl’s mother, Marc bid farewell to his boyfriend, making loose plans to meet for lunch in the cafeteria later on before returning to his patient. Unsurprisingly, the curtain was pulled just a little bit when he returned, just enough to obscure who was behind them from view of people walking by with no interest. “You’re in luck… they were almost out of pink,” he chuckled, setting the bits and pieces down, “Okay, Carla, this bit is the difficult part. I’m going to need you to keep your arm completely straight…”

*****

Tapping softly on the plaster, Marc grinned at the little girl. “And that’s all set… You’re free to go home now. Make sure your papá gets you the cake he promised,” he winked at his colleague, sliding the stool he had been sitting on out of the way as Carla hopped down from the bed without needing her father’s help. “I could tell you what you can and can’t do but I figure he’s got that covered, right? He’s a much better doctor than I am.”

“Can we? Can we get cake?”

“Of course, darling. Can you stay there for just a minute? I just want to talk to Dr Marquez.”

His daughter content to do so, the two surgeons stepped outside the curtain. It was amazing how Dani was with his daughter, just like patients but more so, although it was obvious that he wasn’t entirely comfortable with the situation. That much was clear from the way he could only hold the younger man’s gaze for so long, averting his eyes at regular intervals, the whole thing almost making Marc feel as if he was intruding. “I just wanted to thank you for taking care of her.”

“You don’t need to thank me, I was just doing my job.”

Dani titled his head slightly. _Just like I was just doing my job the other day._ “Still, I’m happy it was you that found her.”

Shrugging, Marc laughed softly, feeling more a bit more at ease with the assurance. “She’s something special.”

 _Tell me about it._ “Something special is probably a good way to describe her.”

It was amazing, seeing the incredible love that Dani obviously had for his daughter, how his eyes seemed so full of _something_ , something that was so hard to put into words, just _there_ , almost radiating from him. “You did a good job.”

Amazed at how they’d gone from him trying to cut intern, and Jorge by extension, down at every turn to Marc complimenting him on his parenting skills, Dani shook his head to himself. “Thank you. And I know that now probably isn’t the best time but I just want to say that you’ve just eradicated every doubt I could ever have about you working in my specialty. That’s not me trying to persuade you, just so you know. Just thought it might be helpful…”

Marc chuckled. “Well it’s not _helpful_ in the slightest but it is definitely appreciated. And judging by the sounds coming from behind that curtain, I think it’s time you got out of here.”

“I think you may be right about that.”

“Enjoy your cake!”

“I’ll bring you in a slice tomorrow,” Dani looked back, smiling timidly, before returning to his little girl so that no more damage could be done.

 _Dani Pedrosa has a_ daughter _._  


	30. Three Years From Now

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're going back in time a bit now, 3 years before the current setting. I was keeping this for a bit later but I think it will work better this way... I apologise in advance.

Rubbing his eyes wearily, Dani locked the door once again, placing the keys quietly down on the table beside the front door. It took him a minute to realise that it was a lot brighter than it usually was when he came back at two o’clock in the morning, looking for the source of light until his eyes fell on the lamp, figuring she’d forgotten to turn it off before going to bed. Reaching for the switch, Dani’s hand stalled, confusion setting in as he spotted the two suitcases standing up against the wall.

_What-_

“Dani.”

He jumped a little at the sudden noise, turning to see his wife standing a couple of feet away, notably not dressed in her usual shorts and tank top, instead wearing a pair of jeans, boots and her favourite mac. “Natalia… Are you going somewhere?” he wondered, joking on the surface but his voice was a lot shakier than he would have cared to admit. The situation made him uneasy, for reasons that weren’t exactly hard to imagine. 

Pursing her lips, Natalia tucked a couple of loose strands of blond hair behind her ears. “Yes,” she replied quietly, although the word seemed to echo off the walls.

“Visiting your parents?” he managed to force out, stomach tightening with dread, knowing himself that that most likely wasn’t the case. _Go. Go to France, visit your parents._

“Dani…”

“Don’t _Dani_ me, Natalia!” he half shouted, wincing when it came out a lot louder than he had intended. The last thing he wanted to do was wake Carla, especially since she had school the next day. “I don’t want your fucking pity, I just want you to tell me what the fuck is going on.” _I want you to tell me what I want to hear is going on._

“I’m leaving.”

And there it was, Dani’s worst fears confirmed, just like that. Two little words, enough to make him feel like the whole world was crumbling around him. He opened his mouth to speak but no words came, all getting lost in the mess that was his mind at that moment. _No… you can’t. You’re not leaving._ Heart thudding worryingly fast in his chest, Dani shook his head, more to himself than anything.

“Why? Is your life so horrible here?”

“Don’t do this, Dani…”

“Don’t do this? Seriously? _You’re_ in no fucking position to say that. That’s my line, Natalia. You’re leaving _me_ , in case you’ve forgotten. You’re leaving _me_.” Tears began to sting his eyes, marvelling at how saying those words aloud caused his heart to break into a million pieces, so instantaneous and excruciatingly final. Something, if he was completely honest with himself, was not completely beyond the realms of possibility, a shift happening in their relationship over the past couple of weeks. But Dani always thought it was fixable, never doubting for a moment that they could work through it.

She was crying too, big fat tears running freely down her cheeks but Dani had zero sympathy for her. “I’m so sorry, I never meant to hurt you like this.”

“I just don’t see why you’re giving up! This can be fixed without leaving. We’ve been married for _six years_.”

“I don’t expect you to understand-“

“You’re fucking right I don’t understand! I don’t understand why you’re so willing to walk away, was I that bad a husband to you? Because I fucking _love_ you, Natalia. So much so that I would be willing to forget this ever happened. But something tells me you’ve already made up your mind…”

The French born woman nodded, eyes squeezed shut. “I have. I need to leave, Dani. I need to do this for me.”

 _For you, that’s great._ “You’re a wife and a mother! This isn’t all about you as much as you want it to be.” It was only after those words had left his mouth that he realised the significance of it all, blood running cold as he put two and two together. _Two being the important word. Two suitcases._ “You’re not taking her. I will go to the courthouse tomorrow and get an order to keep her in Barcelona.” _If you try to take away my daughter…_

Frown deepening, the blond let her eyes lower to the floor, almost burning a hole in it. “I’m not going to take her from you.”

 _Well at least that’s something… If you can really say that when your wife is leaving you._ “She’s staying in here, in _her_ home. Wherever you’re going you can have her during the day but she always stays here.”

He’d been expecting her to protest, to go on about how she was Carla’s mother and had a right to have her as much as Dani did, waited for her to play the busy surgeon card. He’d been expecting her to plead…

He hadn’t been expecting this.

“I’m not going to challenge custody.”

 _Excuse me?_ “You’re just going to let me have her?”

Natalia pursed her lips for a moment. “Dani, I don’t think you get what I’m saying. I need a fresh start. She’d be better off with you anyway.”

Suddenly it all made sense and for the second time that night Dani was rendered well and truly speechless. All the devastation at having his wife leave him was quickly replaced with anger that he’d never felt before in his life. “Tell me that doesn’t mean what I think it does…”

“She will be better off with you.”

 _You have got to be fucking kidding me._ “She’d be better off with her _mother_. Are you seriously trying to tell me that you’re going to walk out that door and leave her behind, just walk out of her life, just like that? Whatever about me, you’re actually going to _leave_ your own daughter?” Dani was furious, and he’d never been an angry man, in fact it had always taken a lot to rile him up, but this… this was just unforgiveable and his blood began to boil on his daughter’s behalf, because that little girl deserved so much better than a mother who just walked away from her.

“Dani, I have to-“

“Of course you don’t fucking _have_ to! Jesus, what the fuck is wrong with you? Do you know what you’re going to do to her? To the both of us?” he spat, shaking his head in disbelief, “I’m giving you a chance to take that back, _one last chance_.”

“Dani…”

“No, you know what? If you’re still going to go after all that then please just _leave_. Leave, Natalia. Walk away from your family. God knows she deserves a better mother than you anyway.”

The malice in that was obviously the last straw for her, brushing past her husband on the way to grab her bags, making a show of removing her key to the apartment from her key ring and placing down next to Dani’s with a firm click on the table. “Goodbye, Dani.”

The surgeon wanted to bite back with a sarcastic remark but words failed him. It was almost an out of body experience, not moving an inch, just listening until he heard that definite slam of the front door. When it came his knees went weak, all the emotions that he’d been too in shock to feel hitting him like a ton of bricks the moment she was gone.

He sank to the floor, not caring that the couch was no more than twenty feet away, chest heaving as he began to sob, unable to believe that he woman he loved, the woman he’d dedicated nine years of his life to, who married him and gave him the most beautiful daughter in the word, was gone just like that.

It was a cruel irony. He was so used of seeing similar situations in his line of work; similar, yet so different at the same time. Because usually in the hospital loved ones were taken away forcibly, without either party having a say in the matter. How many people would give the world to be reunited with their husband, their daughter, and his wife just walked out and left them both without a second thought, turning her nose up at the gift that she’d been given.

Dani thought of his daughter, the person who meant more to him than anything in the world. The person he’d give his life for without a second’s hesitation. The person who would now have to grow up without a mother simply because of the fact that hers decided this wasn’t the life she wanted anymore. He wondered, to no success, how a person could be that selfish, to put their own needs above those of the life that they willingly created. What kind of person could look their child in the eye knowing that it would probably be the last time? Who could reply when that child said goodnight and ‘I love you mamá’ like they did every single evening?

“Papá?”

The voice was so soft that Dani was almost sure he was hearing things until he looked up and saw the little blond head peering out from behind her half-open bedroom door. And Dani’s heart broke all over again at the thought that she might have heard that, preferring she’d hear the news from him than realise how little her mother cared for her.

Trying to wipe his eyes as discretely as possible, Dani gave her a watery smile. “Hey, baby. It’s late, what are you doing up?”

Ignoring that question, Carla padded across the room, tiny four year old feet against the wooden floors the only sound to be heard. Without a word, she wrapped her arms around his shoulders, too short to wrap more than half way around. “Don’t cry, Papá.”

Dani wanted to be strong, wanted to be strong for that little girl, that amazing little girl, but he crumbled. _You’re too young for this. You’re too young to comfort the person who’s supposed to take care of you while he cries._ “Papá’s okay, you should go back to sleep. Y-you have school tomorrow.” _Like I’m going to send you to school after this._

“I still love you. You’re my superhero.”

He held onto her little body with all had, sobs now completely silent but even stronger than before. “No, baby, you’re _my_ superhero.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _If someone said three years from now  
>  You'd be long gone  
> I'd stand up and punch them out  
> Cause they're all wrong  
> I know better 'cause you said forever  
> And ever  
> Who knew_


	31. Chocolate Cake

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the long wait and thank you so much for the amazing response to the last chapter ♥ Oh! And there's some flashbacks in this too!

“Hey,” Alex smiled, looking up from computer perched on his lap as his brother arrived home, at a reasonable hour for once, “Dinner is in the fridge.”

 _If you’re going to cook for me you can move in already._ “I love you, have I ever told you that?” Grinning, Marc made his way into the kitchen area, body aching less than after shifts with multiple surgeries but fatigue still slowing him down, and peered into the fridge, doing a little happy dance when he saw what was there. “Sweet and sour chicken? That’s it, you’re not leaving.”

Alex muttered something along the lines of ‘fine by me’, going about his business while his brother stuck the dish in the microwave before joining him in the sitting room once again. “How was work?”

 _Pff._ Shaking his head to himself, Marc rubbed his face, still mildly amused by the whole situation. “It didn’t really go as I expected… I ended up treating our paeds attending’s daughter when she came in with a broken arm. Which was a little bit awkward because I didn’t even know he had a daughter.”

“He’s the one that wants you?”

 _Well, in one sense of it._ Hearing the microwave beep, he rose from where he had been perching on the edge of the couch and went to retrieve his food. “Yep. At first I thought he was a bit of an asshole- well, he can be- but seeing how he is with his daughter… No wonder he’s the best paediatric surgeon in Europe.”

Pursing his lips, Alex shrugged. “You still thinking about changing?”

“Yeah… To be honest, I think I’m leaning towards paeds at the moment. But I’ve still got a couple of weeks left to choose.”

“Speaking of which, where’s loverboy tonight?”

Rolling his eyes at the nickname that his brother had kindly given his boyfriend, Marc grimaced, grabbing a fork before sitting down next to the younger man on the couch. He scooped some rice into his mouth, nudging Alex when he laughed at the look on his face after he was too enthusiastic and managed to burn his mouth. “At home. I’m on the early shift tomorrow so we thought there would be no point in him staying over. But the good news is I’m finished early tomorrow evening! Which means that we can do something fun.”

“You mean get drunk like we always do?”

“Hey, that was once! Barca are playing at home tomorrow…”

“YES.”

*****

Opening the front door absentmindedly, Basilia stopped dead at the sight of her eldest son standing on her doorstep, his daughter in his arms. “Dani?”

Trying his best to smile, knowing very well that he was failing miserably, Dani gave his mother a kiss on the cheek, stepping into the hall when she robotically made way for him. “Hi, we’re here to visit for the day, is that alright?”

“Of course! I’m just a little surprised to see you, that’s all. How’s my beautiful granddaughter?” she smiled, not quite reaching her eyes as she got a very familiar feeling of dread in her stomach upon closer examination of the surgeon. His eyes were bloodshot and tired looking, his face pale and chalky… So unlike his usual happy self.

Carla didn’t say much, moving willingly from her father’s arms to her grandmother’s, giving her a big kiss on the cheek. “I’m happy to see you, Nonna.”

Covering his mouth with the back of his hand, Dani tried his best to keep himself together for his daughter’s sake, the fact that she was so… shaken from all of this almost making him burst into tears on the spot. Basilia seemed to stare right through to his soul, peering at him over Carla’s shoulder as she shut the door, in such a motherly way that it made him feel at least a little bit more secure.

“Eric? You’re brother and your goddaughter are here!” she called, placing a kiss on her eldest’s cheek before gesturing for him to go ahead into the kitchen.

Eric appeared rather swiftly, a look of confusion, but happiness nonetheless on his face. “Hey,” he smiled, greeting his brother with a hug, “I didn’t know you were visiting too…”

“It was a last minute thing.”

“Right. Well, I’m glad; I haven’t seen my little Carla in too long.”

 _Actually…_ “Eric, I was thinking maybe it would be nice for you to take Carla to the new park down the road?”

Sensing something was amiss, the youngest Pedrosa brother agreed instantly, taking his niece’s hand when his mother set her down on the floor. “Sure. You’re going to love it, I promise you. There’s slides and swings and seesaws…”

Basi and Dani watched as Eric disappeared with the little girl before anything was said, the latter feeling like he was suffocating completely for the first time since she’d left, the walls he’d built to keep everything locked in for his daughter’s sake crumbling down once it was just the two of them alone. Breathing became harder and his chest began to heave, almost collapsing into his mother’s embrace as she stroked his hair.

“Shh… it’s okay. Come in, sit down and tell me what happened. I promise everything’s going to be okay.”

*****

When he received the page from Dani he began to sweat, knowing he’d have to turn down any potential cases that weren’t neurological for fear of Jorge murdering him. Which was fair enough, given that the paeds attending had an intern of his own. Given that it wasn’t a 999, Marc contemplated ignoring it but his curiosity coupled with the fact that it was nearing the end of his shift and he could feel himself waning a bit meant that he found himself taking the elevator up to the third floor as instructed. That in itself was strange enough, usually pages coming from Dani were either to the pit or the rainbow ward and the intern quickly found himself wondering whether it was accidental when he reached his destination and found no sign of the attending.

Frowning, Marc made his way over to the nurse’s station, resting his palms on the counter top. “You haven’t by any chance seen Dr Pedrosa?” he wondered, the situation hilariously awkward seeing as it was the same nurse that flirted shamelessly with him until news obviously spread of his relationship with the hot paediatric _male_ resident.

Nurse Álvarez blushed, concentrating _very_ hard on the file in front of her. _So busy_. “I think he went into the attendings’ lounge the last time I saw him. You should try there.”

Trying his best not to chuckle, Marc gave his thanks before heading in the direction he’d been pointed to, the situation getting stranger and stranger by the moment. _Attending’s lounge… where there are no patients._ Wondering if he should turn around and go back to where he came from for a moment, Marc ultimately decided to just suck it up, knowing it probably wasn’t the best idea to ignore the guy who could very well become his boss in the near future. He stuck his head around the edge of the door, only to find Pedrosa sitting on one of the couches with a stack of files in front of him, sipping absentmindedly on a cup of coffee.

“Knock knock…”

The sudden sound startled Dani and he looked up in confusion, that quickly melting away when he saw who was standing in the doorway. “Marc, come in.”

“You paged?” he wondered, watching as the older man got up from the couch and made his way over to the far side of the room. Marc could have sworn he was blushing.

“I did. Sorry, I didn’t want to interrupt you but I’m finishing up in half an hour…”

“No worries. What’s up?”

“Well,” Dani chuckled, shaking his head to himself, “I made a promise to a little girl last night and I think she’d know if I didn’t fulfil it so…” Loving the look of pleasant surprise on the younger man’s face, he handed over the folded sheet of paper and the plastic container.

One of the items was obviously a slice of cake, as promised, but the other took a little more examination.

“She drew the picture with her left hand but she got me to write the message because she wanted to make sure that you could read it.”

Grinning to himself, Marc examined the very poorly, but admirably, drawn picture of a doctor of the home made card, opening it to see another picture of an arm and a pink case opposite the message written in familiar handwriting.

_Dear Marc,_

_Thank you for fixing my arm. You are the best doctor ever! (Except for my papá)_

_From Carla_

“Why do I have the feeling you added in that last bit yourself?” the intern chuckled, trying his best to hide the fact that he was melted completely by the gesture. _You have the most adorable daughter that’s ever walked the earth._

Looking completely unashamed, Dani shrugged. “She didn’t seem to disagree.”

“No, I don’t suppose she would… Tell her I am so grateful, this is really special.”

“She’ll be happy to hear that. I had to tell her to put down the colours at nine o’clock last night… she’s a stubborn one.”

“Well you seem to have done an amazing job with her,” he informed the older man, a little moment of silence between the two of them as Dani seemed to take that in, Marc quickly moving on so that the situation wouldn’t become too awkward, “And you came through on the promise for cake! This looks so delicious, I’ll have to scoff it down before my brother shows up and eats it all on me.”

 _That means a lot._ “I told you I’d bring you some, didn’t I? And I’m a man of my word if nothing else. I hope he won’t be checking in…”

Chuckling, Marc shook his head, chewing momentarily on his lower lip. “No, thankfully. I get off soon and we’re going to the Barca match so he’s meeting me here. So if you see a taller, paler version of me around you won’t be too surprised.”

“Alex, right?”

 _How did you remember that? I’m supposed to be the one with the photographic memory…_ “Yeah, actually. He’s staying with me for the week so I’m trying not to be as boring as I usually am. He is nineteen though so I suppose he’ll survive being left to his own devices for a while.”

“And you’ve come home to an in-tact apartment every night so far?”

“So far! No, Alex is nice and quiet, thankfully. Sometimes I think he’s more mature than I am.”

“Pff, so the opposite of mine then!”

Marc was just about to enquire about that statement when a shrill beeping filled the room, both surgeons looking down at their pagers instantly, practically conditioned to do so like Pavlov’s Dog. “It’s mine. I better get going… But first I’m going to hide this piece of cake in my locker. God help anyone that tries to eat it…”

Dani laughed, not doubting it for a moment. “Well, enjoy. The cake, not the patient… Thanks again for everything.”

“Anytime.”

*****

Frowning at the sight of his goddaughter swaying unenthusiastically, Eric sat down on the swing next to her, hoping the sturdy plastic and chains would hold his weight. “Everything okay?”

Leaving out a little huff, Carla shook her head, eyes not leaving the floor. “Papá is sad.”

 _I noticed._ Trying to ignore the sick feeling in his stomach, not from the motion, he took a deep breath. “And why is Papá sad?”

“He had a fight with Mamá.”

“Well, things like that happen sometimes. Mommies and daddies always fight, they still love each other. Everything will be okay,” Eric assured her, smiling softly as he brushed her hair out of her face.

Carla shook her head. “Mamá doesn’t want me and Papá anymore. She went away last night when Papá came home from work. I was asleep but I heard them fighting… I waited until I heard Mamá left and…”

 _Fuck._ “And?”

Pouting, the young girl sniffled softly. “He was crying. It made me sad so I hugged him and told him I still loved him.”

 _Oh my god._ Feeling a rush of sympathy for his niece and his brother, understanding now why Dani seemed so off, Eric wrapped his arms tightly around her, pulling her as close to her as possible, hoping she felt a little more secure. “Of course you do. And you know your Papá loves you more than anything. Whatever happens, the two of you are going to stick together, your Papá will never let anything happen to you.”

“Why did she leave?”

The little whimper absolutely destroyed him, tears beginning to trickle down his face despite his attempts to stay strong for the little girl. “I don’t know baby, I don’t know.”

“Uncle Eric?”

“Yes, querida?”

“Can we get some cake?”

 _Cake?_ “Why cake?”

“My Papá told me that cake is like medicine. It makes everything better.”

 _I wish it could._ “Of course, baby. Of course we can.”


	32. Visca el Barça...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it's been a while! I've not had time to do much writing. A little light-heartedness after the angst!

“You sure you’re not too tired?” Alex asked, eyeing his brother warily as they made their way towards the Nou, Marc yawning once again.

Waving it off, the surgeon shook his head. “I’m always tired. There’s never a time when I’m not tired these days, I’ve learned to deal with it.”

“Yeah, you were _really_ tired when I came back from my run the other day and you had Álvaro over…”

Cheeks beginning to burn, Marc’s jaw dropped, torn between being mortified and wanting to hit the younger man. He ultimately decided they weren’t mutually exclusive, giving his completely unapologetic brother a slap. “Hey! I have needs and we can’t exactly do it at the hospital…”

“UGH, it’s okay, I really don’t need to hear about your _needs_. You and Álvaro can just go right ahead…”

 _Now I know whenever I need you to do something I can just mention having sex with my boyfriend._ “That’s very kind of you.”

*****

_ARE YOU ACTUALLY KIDDING ME._

Ducking behind Alex the minute he caught sight of _him_ , leaving his brother very confused, Marc cursed to himself, praying that he hadn’t been spotted.

“Uh, Marc…? What are you doing?” Alex wondered, before realising that he should probably not bother asking anymore, the inner workings of Marc’s mind something that always puzzled him.

“On my night off,” the older man muttered, aware that he probably looked like the biggest weirdo in Barcelona as he peered around his brother’s arms, “Why did he have to be _here_?”

“WHO.”

“ _Espargaró, Pol._ ”

 _What- Oh._ “You’re hiding behind me, at the Nou Camp where there are thousands of people, just because you saw one of your colleagues?”

“He’s not just one of my colleagues! He’s an asshole, who wants my job!

 _Seriously?_ “ _You_ want _his_ job. Oh look, he’s gone. You can come out now.”

“Already came out,” Marc grinned, chuckling at how Alex groaned and rolled his eyes, “Let’s go find our seats before he shows up again.”

*****

“We’re leaving.”

Torn between being amused and annoyed at his brother’s dramatics, Alex pushed Marc further into the row, a queue forming behind them. As luck would have it, ‘Espargaró, Pol’ was sitting just a couple of seats down from them, next to what seemed to be the most dedicated Barça fan in the whole of Spain. “Suck it up, we’re not leaving now. He might not even see you.”

“Oh he’s going to see me alright. This is way too much of a coincidence. Hopefully Aleix will keep him distracted…”

 _We’ll see._ Deciding to take the seat closest to the other two, realising that Marc would probably force him to if he didn’t offer, Alex chuckled, the whole situation making the night far more entertaining than he could have ever imagined. “And now we wait…”

“Shut up.”

Marc: YOU NEVER TOLD ME THAT HE LOVED BARCA

Álvaro: Who? Your brother?

Marc: My brother? No! You’re fucking intern!

Marc: *Your. Please don’t fuck him

Álvaro: What are you even talking about? Are you drunk? :P

Marc: I wish :/ Pol and Aleix are sitting like two seats away from us… I’m trying to hide

Álvaro: Well isn’t that a happy coincidence ;)

Marc: I’m breaking up with you

Álvaro: Have I ever told you that you’re the most dramatic person I know?

Marc: WHY DIDN’T YOU WARN ME

Álvaro: How was I supposed to know?? We don’t exactly discuss our hobbies!

Marc: But did you know Aleix was going??

Álvaro: … he may have mentioned something

Marc: ÁLVARO! UGH. I want to leave but Alex won’t let me…

Álvaro: It’s 90 minutes, you’ll survive. Do you know who won’t? My patients if I keep texting you :P

Marc: Pff, abandon me in my hour of need!

Álvaro: As long as both of you don’t end up here you’ll be fine :P <3

Marc: I hate you <3

“Look who it is!”

Groaning, the neuro intern rubbed his face wearily, his couple of minutes of remaining incognito coming to an end far too soon. He decided to pretend that he didn’t hear that, eyes fully concentrated on the players lining up on the pitch, giving his brother a discreet, yet powerful, nudge into the ribs that quickly shut him up. _Oh look, players. Grass. Goal posts._

“Dr _Marquez?_ ” _You’re an asshole, you know that?_ Gritting his teeth, Marc grudgingly turned his head in the direction of the other set of brothers, both waving at him. “Fancy seeing you here!”

“Indeed. What are the odds?”

“Marc, aren’t you going to introduce me?”

 _That’s it, you’re being shipped back to Cervera tomorrow._ “Pol, Aleix, this is my brother, Alex.”

Eyebrows practically disappearing into his hairline, Pol looked between the two men in shock, the resemblance almost uncanny. Save for some minor differences, they could be twins. “Nice to meet you, Alex, I’m Pol. Marquez, I didn’t know you had a brother.”

“I don’t see why you would.”

“Excuse me? Would you like to swap seats so you can sit next to your friend?”

“Yes!”

“ _No_.”

It was too late, the _kind hearted_ man and his son, quickly swapped places with the two Espargarós, both giving their thanks as Pol settled in next to Alex, idiotic grin on his face. “If I had known you two were coming we could have went together from the hospital.”

 _That would have been_ lovely _._ “Hmm, I didn’t know you two were Barca fans…”

“Pff, are you kidding? Pol and I go to every match that we can. We haven’t been in a while though, you know what it’s like. Being a surgeon and all…”

_And of all matches you chose tonight…_

*****

“That was miles offside ref!”

Sighing at yet another of Pol’s outbursts, Marc rolled his head, the disappointment of Barca going behind once again only added to by his fellow intern’s dramatics. Letting his chin fall into his hand, he found himself wondering what exactly he’d done to deserve this. “No, it wasn’t. It was a perfectly good goal, just like the _last_ one.”

Sensing his brother was close to the breaking point and all too amused at the same, Alex glanced at Marc from the side of his eye, giggling away quietly to himself. _You’re really miserable._ “And you didn’t want to get drunk,” he muttered, receiving a deathly glare in return.

 _What I wouldn’t give to be getting drunk right now._ “Shut the fuck up. This is what I get for trying to be nice to you…”

*****

Marc: I’m seriously contemplating leaving Alex here with them. Tell me there’s an emergency at the hospital?

Álvaro: I’m sure he’d love you for that… Nope, no emergency here ;) All is quiet actually

Marc: Fuck my life. If I have to put up with Pol’s shrieking for much longer I’m going to lose my fucking mind.

Álvaro: It can’t be that bad…

Marc: Álvaro, I’m contemplating doing a pitch invasion just so they’ll arrest me and put me in a nice quiet jail cell

Álvaro: Oh Marc…

Álvaro: I’m not going to lie and say that wouldn’t be the funniest thing I’ve ever seen in my entire life

Marc: Fuck off. You won’t be saying that when you have to come and bail me out! And I thought you were meant to be working!

Álvaro: I am! You keep texting _me_ , remember?? I think I’m okay though, Dani’s getting a kick out of this…

Marc: Great, so you and Dani Pedrosa are laughing at my misery. You can tell him I’m choosing Jorge.

Marc: Please don’t do that, I haven’t decided yet :/

Álvaro: Don’t worry, I won’t! ;)

*****

“So…” Aleix smirked, sliding up a seat so that he was sitting next to the neuro intern when their brothers went to the bathroom, “Not exactly how you planned to spend the night, is it?”

 _You have no idea._ “Not exactly… It’s been a long couple of days but I wanted to do something with Alex before he goes back to Cervera. I feel bad leaving him alone all day and then coming home at all hours of the night. We used to go to matches together all the time when I was in college… I just feel like we’re losing a bit of what we had before.” _And your brother is an asshole._

Nodding, the older man pursed his lips, folding his arms across his chest. “I wouldn’t worry too much, it gets better the longer you’re working at the hospital. Once your intern year is done things will start to fall into place once again. It was the same when I was an intern and Pol was in uni.”

Definitely of the opinion that the general resident was either a saint, crazy, or _really_ loved his brother, or probably all three, Marc shrugged, eyes focused on the ball flying from one side of the pitch to the other. “Hopefully.” _Is this match ever going to end?_

*****

“Where the fuck did they go?” Marc frowned, looking around to see if there was any sign of Alex and Pol, fifteen minutes easily having passed since they’d left them.

“There must be a queue.”

 _There’d want to be._ “There must be. Maybe they met someone else from the hospital,” the neuro resident suggested, unable to keep the sarcastic remark in, regretting it the moment it had left his mouth since he didn’t exactly have a problem with the older of the two Espargarós. Thankfully, Aleix laughed at that, obviously very in tune with the younger man’s dismay.

“We’ve bumped into Ricky and Jorge here before, although that was back when Pol was still in medical school… He hasn’t put two and two together yet!”

That genuinely surprised him, given how quickly the paeds intern had linked him and Álvaro that night their date got side-tracked. “That’s good to know… maybe we can double date some time.”

Chuckling, Aleix shook his head, not seeing why his brother hated Marc so much. Although if his suspicions were correct… “I think the only place you will be double dating with Jorge and Ricky is the hospital. Who knows, maybe you’ll get a nice romantic surgery sometime?”

 _A nice romantic surgery._ “Yup, nothing says romance like brains.”

*****

“We’re back!”

_Fantastic._

“I brought you something nice…” Alex smiled hopefully, retaking his seat as he handed his brother the hot dog he’d bought him.

 _Hmm, you don’t fight fair._ “With bacon bits?”

“Pff, of course! Did we miss anything?”

“Nope. Nothing at all. And there’s only around ten minutes left, you were gone ages.”

Taking a bite of his own hotdog, taking a moment to chew it, the younger Marquez shrugged. “I was hungry.”

“Yeah, well you kept _him_ away so I suppose I’ll forgive you…”

*****

Throwing himself down on the couch, never so happy to see the inside of his apartment, Marc groaned. “Thank god that’s over. I’m sorry, I know I said we’d have fun but that was fucking terrible.”

 _Good to see you haven’t lost your flair for the dramatics._ Sitting down next to his brother, Alex shrugged. “I had a good time.”

Looking at the younger man as if he were crazy, Marc arched an eyebrow. “I worry about you sometimes, you know that?”

“Knock knock!” Álvaro called, using the key Marc had re-gifted him with after their little spat had finished to open the door, not sure if the brothers would be home yet.

“Finally,” the neuro intern grinned, “something _good_ about the night.”

“Smooth,” Álvaro chuckled, exchanging a dramatic eye roll with his boyfriend’s brother as he set his bag down by the wall before plonking down on the opposite side of Marc, leaning in to kiss the younger man, “but I’m very flattered.”

“Hmm, you should be,” Marc smirked, grabbing a handful of the resident’s collar for better leverage as he mashed their lips together once again, Álvaro responding despite the embarrassed cough from the younger Marquez.

“I’m… just going to go to bed…”

 _Oops._ “We’ll stop now, you don’t have to leave.”

Getting to his feet regardless, Alex chuckled. “No, it’s okay. You deserve some… _happy_ time after tonight. I’ll see you in the morning?”

Eyes narrowing at what his boyfriend’s brother’s sheepish rubbing of his neck drew his attention to, Álvaro smirked, wondering how exactly _that_ happened. “Are you sure? I feel like I’m intruding.”

“Nope, not intruding. It’s late anyway and I have my earplugs. Enjoy!”

“Oh, we _will_.”


	33. Sugar, We're Going Down

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about the break in updating! This chapter was hard!  
> I remember I promised on call room sex so I would like so maybe I should put it to a vote for future reference... Who would you have me send to the on call room? I'll give you the option of Jorge/Ricky or... another unspecified pairing? (That may not be in existence yet...) You can know for sure or you can gamble ;) It may be worth it... :P

“Marc?” No response. “Marc!” _Are you ignoring me?_ “ _Marc._ ” It was only when the guy turned to the side that Ricky saw that he had been mistaken, eyebrows raised dramatically. “You’re not Marc…” _But yet at the same time you kind of are._

The other man chuckled, finally understanding what was going on. “No, I’m not. I’m Alex, Marc’s brother.”

 _This is crazy._ A little embarrassed, the neuro resident rubbed his neck. “Sorry, it’s just you _really_ look like him. And when you see someone that looks like Marc around here, it’s usually- no, it’s _always_ Marc.”

“Yeah, I get that a lot…”

“Sorry,” Ricky chuckled, shaking his head, “I should probably introduce myself since I’m being weird. I’m Ricky, Marc’s resident and Álvaro’s best friend.”

 _That makes sense._ “Well, I’m sorry but I don’t have a medical degree so I don’t think I can help you with whatever you wanted my brother for,” Alex chuckled, shaking the older man’s hand.

Relieved that the younger Marquez had as good a sense of humour as his brother, Ricky shrugged. “That’s okay, the hospital is small enough, I’m sure he’s around here somewhere. Although you should probably try your best to avoid our Chief of Surgery, Dr Alzamora. Marc is very much his Golden Boy so if he finds out there’s another one of you… you might find yourself with a medical degree. Unless that’s what you want. If so, by all means!”

 _Marc is the Golden Boy. That’s a surprise…_ “No thanks… One surgeon in the family is more than enough.”

“Who knows, if things keep going the way they’re going you might find yourselves with _another_ surgeon in the family,” arching an eyebrow cheekily, loving the blush on the young man’s face, “I take it you’re looking for Marc?”

“Yep, he took my phone instead of his this morning so I was just going to swap them quickly….”

“I’ll page your brother and see if he’s about. Or I can just show you to the locker room if you think you could crack his code? Not that I condone that sort of thing…”

“Pff, are you kidding? Marc uses the same four digits for everything since he was ten years old… Amateur.”

*****

 _Is that…_ “Alex?” Marc called, eyebrow arched as he just happened to glance up after coming off the elevator by his attending’s side, the younger man wandering around the first floor like a lost soul.

Upon hearing his name, Alex looked around, smile quickly replacing his frown as he spotted his brother. “Hey.”

 _Hey, he says. What are you doing here??_ Still highly confused, the intern waved, quietly amused by the random appearance. “Hey… what’s up?”

“You took my phone this morning, I just switched them.”

Feeling Jorge’s eyes looking between the two of them, Marc blushed. “Sorry, I suppose I should probably introduce you… Jorge, this is my brother, Alex. Alex, this is my attending, Jorge Lorenzo.”

“I would have never have guessed…” the oldest of the three chuckled, greeting the youngest with a firm handshake. “You two are the image of each other.”

“Yeah, we get that a lot…”

“I was looking for you but then I met a guy- Ricky, I think? He showed me where the locker room was.”

 _You broke into my locker??_ “Yeah, Ricky. He’s our resident.”

“He seems nice.”

Exchanging an amused glance with his intern, Jorge chuckled, making a ‘comme si, comme ça’ gesture. “I suppose he’s alright.”

Breaking out into his trademark Marc Marquez laugh, he raised his eyebrows at his boss, cheeky smile on his face. “I’ll tell him you said that and you’ll be sleeping on the couch for the rest of the week.”

“You tell him I said that you won’t be sleeping for the rest of the week.”

“You’re going to give me that many surgeries? Jorge, you’re too kind!”

 _I actually think I would like to work here were it not for my crippling fear of blood and needles._ “Huh?”

Clapping Alex on the shoulder, Jorge shook his head. “You’re better off not knowing. Marc, come find me when you’re done here. Nice to meet you, Alex.” Giving his reply, the nineteen year old watched as the surgeon walked away, with a swagger that anyone would envy. _You’re exactly what I’d expect a neurosurgeon to be like. What happened to Marc?_

“So what’s this I hear about you breaking into my locker?”

“Pff, it’s not breaking in if it’s that easy.”

*****

“Would you look who it is…”

Swallowing hard at the way the older man was grinning, surprised but pleasantly so, Alex tried his best not to bite his lip but failed miserably, cheeks turning a deep shade of red. “Hello…”

Pol arched an eyebrow, chuckling as he pressed the button for his floor, “Wow, hello? I’m offended that you’re not happier to see me.”

 _Happy is one way to describe it._ “I was hoping that we wouldn’t run into each other to be honest.” And to think he almost made it. But life was cruel like that.

“Well I can honestly say that’s not a response I’ve had before from someone I’ve-“

Burning with mortification, Alex looked around despite knowing it was empty save for them, squirming under the intensity of the older man’s gaze. “Don’t.” _And stop looking at me like that._

Sensing that he really was uncomfortable, Pol raised his hands. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to-“

“It’s fine.”

 _Right._ “So what are you doing here?”

 _Not for a repeat of the other night._ “To swap phones with my brother. If I do move in with him we’re going to have to get different cases.”

“So you’re planning on moving in?”

“Yep, probably in September. I’m starting uni so it would be easier than finding my own place. Or staying in Cervera.”

 _Sounds like a very good idea…_ “And Marc isn’t going to be there most of the time so you’d pretty much have the place to yourself to… do whatever you want.”

 _Stop it. Don’t you dare…_ Swallowing again, blushing at the way the corners of the surgeon’s mouth tugged upwards at that, Alex shrugged meekly, feeling as if the walls were closing in on him. “I suppose.”

“But you’ll also have to put up with Bautista spending the night, I don’t envy that.”

“That’s what earplugs are for. If I can block out the sounds I can pretend that they’re not fucking in the room right next to me.”

Giving a little shrug, Pol smirked, folding his arms across his chest, pretending to not be too smug when the younger man’s eyes lowered instinctively. “Or you could just beat them at their own game.”

That was the last straw. The tension building in his stomach became too much, something snapping and sending him flying forward until his lips were mashed against Pol’s, pushing him back against the wall so hard that he was fairly certain it hurt.

The doctor was far from complaining, hands going to the back of the younger man’s neck instinctively, bracing himself as his tongue slipped inside Alex’s mouth, lips moving more forcefully when he heard the low moan that escaped the other man. Alex seemed only too up for it, fingers desperately grasping at the older man’s hair as he pushed their bodies together, growling when their

 _Eager much._ Chuckling against the nineteen year old’s mouth, Pol pulled away, loving the obvious disappointment. “’Don’t’, yeah?”

“Fuck off.” _Kiss me_.

The elevator came to a halt, the two separating momentarily as the doors opened onto the lobby, thankfully no one around waiting to get it. “You getting off here? Or…”

“Or?”

“ _Or_ are we going down a couple of floors?”

“Press the button.”

*****

“Did you enjoy your night off?”

 _Fuck off._ “I’ve decided I’m not talking to you.”

Making an ‘oh?’ expression, Dani leaned back against the counter of the nurses station, arms folded over his chest. “Really? Do tell.”

Pouting as he skimmed through the file, more amused than annoyed, Marc arched an eyebrow. “You and Álvaro were enjoying my misery. You have no idea what it was like, Dani- _torture_ \- and the two of you were having a laugh here at my expense, having the time of your lives at work while I was miserable.”

“Excuse me, you had to spend one night with him; think about how we feel! It’s only fair that you do your time, I have zero sympathy for you.”

Contemplating that for a moment, ultimately deciding that the older man was probably right, the neuro intern made a ‘comme si, comme ça’ gesture. “Touché. Still, it was a nightmare. I’m starting to think that’s the main reason you want me, so you don’t have to endure another three to six years of Pol Espargaró…”

“I want you?” Dani challenged, quietly amused.

“Well I think trying to steal me from Jorge qualifies as wanting me.”

 _True._ “Well, as you correctly said, I do want you on my service but it’s not because of Pol, don’t worry. My motives are entirely selfless, I can assure you.”

Feeling a lit bad for stringing the paediatrician along, Marc bit his lip, frown taking the place of his smile as he glanced down at the chart once again. “I haven’t decided yet.”

“I guessed as much. Don’t worry, there’s no pressure from me. Although I’d say that Jorge has the egg timer set…”

“I’ve got a week and a half left.”

“You know my position, you know Jorge’s… the rest is up to you.”

_Yep, all up to me._

*****

“Where are we going?” Rubbing the back of his neck as he looked around, the place pretty much empty but aware all the same that Marc could very well pop up without warning, Alex tried to make himself smaller, less noticeable, but that was easier said than done.

“Here.” Stopping without notice, Pol grabbed a fistful of Alex’s jumper, hauling through a door. He laughed at the look of complete and utter shock on the younger man’s face, kicking the door shut behind him as he kissed that look away, making him forgot all his reservations. Smirking at the way that Alex responded, so eager and willing, the surgeon grabbed a handful of his hair, holding him firmly in place, the younger man letting out a little whimper. “So you’re up for a repeat of last night, I take it?”

 _Fuck_ … _Marc would kill me for even thinking about this, never mind actually doing it._ A shiver ran down his spine, the air of possibility making his pants feel too tight for comfort, and Alex raked his teeth over his bottom lip, heart hammering in his chest. _But I really don’t care._ “Not exactly?”

Confused, but satisfied that the other man wasn’t just going to cut and run, Pol arched an eyebrow. “Oh?”

Alex merely nodded, eyes flicking to the older man’s lips momentarily before he escaped Pol’s grasp and reconnected their mouths once again, the knot in his stomach tightening as Pol’s hands ventured beneath his hoody, the touch almost burning his skin. Only when he found himself struggling for air did he pull away, taking a moment to catch his breath before slowly sinking to his knees, legs shaking, loving the look of astonishment on the doctor’s face as he put two and two together.

 _Fuck._ “Alex…” Brushing his thumb over the younger man’s lips, _those_ eyes staring right through to his soul, sending even more blood to his groin, Pol shuddered.

“How long is your break?”

Finding it harder to make coherent thoughts as Alex’s fingers dipped beneath the waistband of his scrubs, the surgeon swallowed hard, tilting his head back as Alex’s hand found its way into his boxers, wrapping around his cock. “Half an hour…”

“Well, I guess we’d better get to it then, shouldn’t we?”

 _Who are you and what the fuck did you do with Alex Marquez?_ Crying out as the younger man gave a firm tug, Pol pushed his pants down completely, too eager to see those lips wrapped around him. “We definitely should.”


	34. Desperately Seeking Stefan

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have literally been waiting to use that chapter title for like twenty chapters now... I knew I had to get it in somewhere! Thanks for all the response to the last chapter! :D I hope I can keep you on your toes... ;)

 “Should I go first or…” Blushing as Pol pulled up his pants once again, bizarre after what he’d just done to him, Alex focused hard on the wall.

 _You are the strangest person I’ve ever met in my entire life._ The surgeon chuckled, giving himself an once over to make sure there were no incriminating stains, ready to go back to the locker room and change his scrubs regardless. “I’ll make sure the coast is clear. Once we’re out of the room there isn’t a problem; you got lost and I was just showing you the way.”

 _Unless we run into my brother… that would be harder to explain._ “Okay…”

“Alex?”

“Hmm?”

Eyes widening as Pol pulled him in for another kiss, not at all helpful in trying to push what had happened just then, and in the bathroom last night, out of his head. “You worry too much.”

 _Yep, I do. I’ve only just received and given a blowjob to his arch nemesis. Who is 5 years older than me._ “Maybe.”

“Definitely. Everything is fine, okay? You’re an adult.”

Not exactly feeling like it, Alex bit his lip. “I guess I am.”

Kissing the frown away once again, pulling away just before things got too heated again, the doctor nibbled on the younger man’s lower lip, hands resting on the small of his back. “So are you going back to Cervera or will I get to see you again?”

Taken aback by the fact that he _wanted_ to see him again, Alex shrugged. “I’m not going back until the weekend.”

“Well, I’m off tomorrow and Aleix is working all day so if you want to come round…”

 _I really shouldn’t…_ “I’ll give you my number and you can text on the address and time.”

Pol grinned, reclaiming the nineteen year old’s lips once again, short but definitely not sweet this time. “Sounds like a plan.”

*****

“Pol! Marc! Hi,” Rins smiled as he rounded the corner, frowning a bit on closer inspection of the latter, unless Marc had gotten a foot taller since the last time he’d seen him…

Shooting the paeds intern a look that clearly conveyed his displeasure, the older man supposed to make sure that coast was clear, Alex shook his head, swallowing hard. “I’m not Marc, I’m Alex.”

 _Definitely not Marc._ “Sorry, you just look so like him. I’m Alex too,” he held out his hand, noticing how on edge the two men seemed.

Hesitating for a moment, the only non-doctor of the three shook the hand extended, deciding it would help in looking less suspicious. “Good name,” he chuckled, “Nice to meet you.”

“Alex just got a bit lost, I’m showing him the way out,” Pol announced, making it implicitly clear that they weren’t hanging around and that this wasn’t a topic for discussion. Placing his hand briefly on the taller man’s shoulder, he gestured in the direction of the elevator. “It’s this way. Talk to you later, Rins.”

Not entirely convinced, but also wondering why they would be sneaking around the basement of the hospital, Alex let it go, figuring that it was nothing that he need concern himself with anyway. “Yeah, see you around.”

*****

“Are you okay?” Marc arched an eyebrow, eyeing his colleague warily, beads of sweat seeming to form on the German’s forehead, a distant look in his eyes.

Wiping his nose with a tissue, Stefan nodded, trying his best to smile. “Yeah, I’m perfect.”

 _Perfect isn’t exactly a word I would use to describe how you look right now._ “Are you sure? You look a little… pale.”

“No, I…” staggering just a little bit, the room going a bit out of focus, Stefan decided it would be best to sit down for a moment, wiping the perspiration from his forehead. “I’ve just got a bit of a cold, that’s all. I’m fine, really. I’ve taken my vitamin C tablets… I’ll be perfect in an hour or two.”

“Why don’t you just go home? I’m sure Crutchlow will understand, even doctors get sick sometimes.”

 _Yeah but when we’re sick we have to work through it._ “I’ve got surgery in twenty minutes. And, besides, I don’t need to go home. In half an hour I’ll be right as rain.”

Eyes widening in horror at the thought of Stefan operating on someone like that, the neuro intern shook his head. “I really don’t think-“

Smiling, more touched by his colleague’s concern than annoyed, Stefan stood once again, demonstrating that he was completely able bodied. “Marc, thanks for your concern but I’m really fine. There’s no need to worry.”

_We’ll see about that…_

*****

“Good afternoon,” Álvaro grinned, leaning in to press a kiss against his boyfriend’s lips when he finally made it to the cafeteria, running a little behind schedule since one of his patients had kindly decided puke all over his front, “Sorry I’m late.”

Marc chuckled. “It’s five minutes, I’m sure I’ll get over it.” Wrinkling his nose, the intern frowned. “Is that…”

“Don’t ask. I changed but… it lingers. We’re about to eat so I think it would be best to leave it at that…”

 _Yeah, I agree._ “Busy?”

“Run off my feet. It’s Pol’s day off today and it just happens to be the one day where there’s an influx of tiny humans. Which means I get stuck doing all the shitty jobs that I thought I was done forever with. I’m _this_ close to calling him in.”

“I’m sure he’d love that. You should definitely do it,” the neuro intern smirked, only joking since he wouldn’t begrudge any of his colleagues a day off, “If you’re too busy I can wait until later?”

Letting out a whoosh of air, Álvaro shook his head, digging into the chicken salad that his boyfriend had known only too well by now to get for him. “Nope, I’m free now. Strike while the iron is hot and all that, since I probably won’t get another free minute for the day.”

They got to eating their food, chatting casually as they always did about cases they were working, making plans for later on that night and the rest of the week… It was nice and pleasant, that was, of course, until Aleix showed up, pulling an extra seat over to their table and plonking down with an exasperated sigh.

“Marquez, you’re not be any chance at a loss for something to do today, are you?”

 _What?_ “Nope, I’m in surgery in an hour. Why?”

“Because I just had to send Johann home. Casey’s in Bilbao today giving some kind of a presentation so it’s just me and Emilio.”

Giving his friend an empathetic look, Álvaro continued to eat, time not exactly on his side. “I feel you, it’s Pol’s day off. When did residents start having to do more work than interns??” Noticing the offended look on his boyfriend’s face, the paeds resident chuckled, “Not you, babe. You’re the most hardworking of all of them.”

Merely giving a ‘hmmph’ in reply, Marc turned his attention back to Aleix. “What’s up with Johann?”

“Flu. Couldn’t have him infecting my patients.”

The two other men ‘ahhh’ed, nodding as they continued to eat, only one dropping his fork after a couple of seconds, everything making a lot more sense now. “Fuck!” Marc’s eyes widened, wiping his mouth and throwing the paper napkin down on the table before almost knocking the chair over as he stood.

Completely and utterly confused, Álvaro arched an eyebrow, exchanging a look with his friend. “Where are you going?”

“To find Stefan.”

*****

“Don’t concentrate too hard, Marquez, you might hurt yourself,” Emilio commented, eyebrow arched in amusement as he observed the young surgeon practically burning a hole in the surgical board with his eyes, looking incredibly torn as he chewed on his lip.

Marc jumped a little at the sudden noise, turning to see the Chief of Surgery standing a foot or two behind him. _How is it you always appear at moments like this? Do you have extra sensory gifts of something?_ “You have a habit of doing that. Just like Dani.”

“What?”

“Appearing out of no where.”

Emilio chuckled, almost out of disbelief. “I apologise, I’ll have to get one of those bell collars. What’s the problem?”

 _Huh?_ “Problem?”

“You’ve got your problem face on. I hope there’s no more instances of harassment to report…”

 _When did I become so transparent? I have a_ problem face _??_ “I just heard that Johann had to be sent home because he has the flu and this morning I noticed Stefan looked really unwell, but he said he was fine. I think he may have the flu too which is bad because he went into surgery like forty minutes ago.”

Pinching the bridge of his nose, a flu outbreak amongst his interns exactly what he didn’t need, the Chief of Surgery rolled his eyes. “Fantastic. What is it with doctors and not being able to tell when they should really stay at home? Right, thanks for telling me, I’ll get it sorted now. I take it you’ve had your vaccination?”

“…Yes?”

 _You people are doctors._ “Get Álvaro or Ricky or whomever to give it to you. Today, okay?”

“Yes, sir. I’m on it.”

*****

 _My brother would kill us both if he knew about this…_ Taking a seat on the couch, not wanting to awkwardly stand around as if he was waiting for something to happen, Alex pulled off his jacket, draping it over the arm. He just watched as the older man hurried around, picking up bits and pieces, muttering about Aleix leaving the place in a mess when he went to work that morning.

“One second…”

“Take your time.” _And I’ll pretend that I’m not having palpatations…_

“Okay, sorry! I promise you have my undivided attention from now on,” Pol smirked, the blush that quickly appeared on the younger man’s face causing a stirring in his abdomen as it always did, “Drink?”

Finger’s tightening on the material of his pants, the grip needed to keep him grounded and calm, Alex bit his lip, the corners of his mouth tugging upwards. “Hmm, no thanks. Come sit…”

Never one to turn down such an invitation, the paeds intern did as he was told, sitting facing the other man on the couch, knowing they weren’t just going to watch tv. Sensing Alex’s nerves, hardly able to look him in the eye, Pol reached out, placing one hand firmly on the younger man’s jaw. He let it linger there for a moment, Alex finally managing to look him in the eye, before closing the distance between them, lips meeting and sending a jolt of electricity through the both of them just like it had done before.

The kiss started out slow, like they were pacing themselves, lips and tongues moving in perfect tandem until it was not enough, the younger of the two’s hands going to the back of Pol’s neck, pulling him even closer, the need for contact ever increasing.

And then he did something that made what seemed like every last ounce of blood in the surgeon’s body rush to his crotch, leaning back so that his head was propped up against the arm rest of the couch, looking up with him with _those_ eyes, the invitation clear as day. Breath hitching, Pol shuffled a little so that he was settled in between the younger man’s legs, their bodies seeming to fit perfectly together. Without saying a word, Alex grabbed his t shirt, pulling him forward completely so that their mouths met again, hips arching intentionally as the older man’s body rubbed against his in just the right way, biting down hard on Pol’s lip when he chuckled at his expense.

 _So that’s how you want to play this._ Grinning against Alex’s mouth, the doctor continued to kiss him, hand slowly moving south all the while, stopping only when it reached the button on the younger man’s jeans. He popped it open without much effort, the zipper his next port of call as Alex whimpered beneath him, kissing him forcefully, so much so that he was sure that he could taste blood, before suddenly stopping.

Alex pulled away, string of saliva still connecting their lips. “Wait…”

Expression mirroring the younger man’s, Pol frowned. “Is something wrong?”

 _That depends…_ “No, not… _wrong_ , it’s just…” _spit it out_ , “I’ve…”

“You’ve?”

“I’ve never had sex with a man before.”

 _Fuck, you’re a virgin._ Trying his very best to hide the fact that that little detail was doing very funny things to him, Pol leaned back a bit. “Sorry, I didn’t know. I’ll stop.”

“No!” Alex replied a little too quickly, blush creeping over his cheeks, “I mean, I don’t want you to stop. I just thought you should know in case you want to stop.”

 _Huh?_ “In case _I_ want to stop?”

Biting down on his bottom lip, the younger man nodded, looking younger than he was. “You probably thought that I had some experience…”

“Alex, I really don’t care how much experience you have. In fact,” smiling wrly, Pol took his hand, showing him just how little a problem it problem it was, loving how his cheeks turned a fetching shade of pink, “The fact that you haven’t done this before is even more of a turn on…”

“It’s really not a problem?”

“Not unless it’s a problem for you.”

 _It’s definitely not a problem for me._ Feeling like a weight had been lifted off of him, not feeling the need to make any reply to that, Alex brought their lips together once again, all sense of holding back well and truly gone. His fingernails dug into Pol’s back as the paeds intern finished unzipping him, roughly pushing his jeans inside in order to palm him through his boxers.

“You’re sure about this? You can’t undo it…”

“I’m sure.” _I’m sorry, Marc…_

*****

Stepping inside the operating room, scrubs thrown on and surgical mask held over his mouth, Emilio cleared his throat. Looking up in confusion momentarily, Cal continued with what he was doing once he saw the chief standing there. "Emilio, what can I do for you?" 

"Nothing, but your intern can."

Eyebrows raising, fearing that he was in trouble, Stefan swallowed hard, wincing when it once again felt like he had swallowed razor blades. "Sir?" 

"Bradl, I need you to scrub out. Zarco's been sent home with the flu and I really can't afford to take any chances." 

Casting a glance at his intern, having been pretty much willfully ignorant to his condition, the trauma attending let out an exasperated sigh. "Great, how am I meant to operate without an intern?"

 _Glad you asked..._ Stepping outside the door once again, Emilio grabbed the intern by the arm, pulling him inside. "I've taken the liberty of finding one for you. Cal, you know Dr Rins..." 

Giving a little wave, the OB intern smiled widely, despite the fact that his mouth couldn't be seen, and gave a little wave. "Hi." 

Cal remained silent for a moment, watching  _his_ intern put down the clamp carefully and make his way towards the door ruefully. "I suppose he'll have to do."  _  
_


	35. If All Our Days Are Numbered...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! So sorry it's been FOREVER! I've been so busy that I literally haven't done anything but study, work and sleep for the past month. And stupidly fall in love but we're not going to get into that one! Anyway, this chapter was meant to contain something important *coughs* but it was getting too long so I decided to split it and keep you waiting even longer because I'm evil ;) Hopefully this isn't too much of a nothing chapter :/ There's not much I can do anyway except try to get the next one up asap. Thank you so much for all your support so far! ♥

“ _Hi, you’ve reached Marc; I can’t answer right now but leave a message-_ “

Sighing wearily, Álvaro hung up the phone for the fourth time, deciding that if his boyfriend hadn’t answered at this stage then it wasn’t going to happen. “What the hell is going on?”

*****

“He-hem.”

Almost dropping the keys as he shut the door _quietly_ behind him, Alex jumped, the sound coming from apparently nowhere until Marc suddenly appeared in the living area, arms folded across his chest, eyebrow cocked cheekily. “Hello…”

“Marc! You fucking scared the life out of me,” the younger brother pouted, trying his best not to look guilty as he hung his leather jacket up, using each second to try and pull a story together in his head. One that didn’t involve him spending almost all night at Pol Espargaró’s apartment…

“Pff! You don’t get to give out to me when you’re sneaking in at…” glancing down at his watch, the surgeon shook his head, tutting, “half past five in the morning. That’s a walk of shame if ever I’ve seen one.”

 _Fuck off._ “Like you’ve never spent the night with someone and left early in the morning.”

“Aha! So there is someone? Who? Has it happened before? Tell me _everything_. You’re being safe, aren’t you? Because I love children but I really don’t fancy becoming an uncle to my nineteen year old brother’s baby just yet. And I think it would put our poor mother in the grave.”

Cheeks turning an almost fluorescent shade of red, Alex actually face palmed, wondering why exactly he liked spending time with his brother so much. “I’m not telling you anything! And, _ugh_. No, I won’t be fathering any children any time soon, don’t worry.”

Nowhere near willing to just leave it at that but his hands tied all the same, Marc huffed, glancing at his watch once again. “As much as I would love to stay and pester you- and I really would _love_ it- I have to get to work. But this is not over, I hope you know. We are going to talk about this the minute I get home.”

Making a mental note to be in bed or anywhere else when that happened, the younger of the two rolled his eyes dramatically, saying a half-hearted goodbye to Marc before stalking off to his room to catch up on some sleep…

*****

“You’ll _never_ guess what I was met with as I was about to leave for work this morning.”

Chuckling at his boyfriend’s enthusiasm, not even waiting until he had given Álvaro a kiss before launching into his tale, the paeds resident handed over the cup of coffee he’d picked up for the younger man on the way to the hospital. “I don’t think I could even begin to imagine.”

 _This is too good._ “Alex, doing the walk of shame. _Alex_ \- my brother- doing the walk of shame.”

The corners of his mouth tugged upwards as he blew on the hot liquid. “You hardly thought he was a virgin… have you seen him?”

 _O-kay…_ Shuddering, not even wanting to ask what his boyfriend meant by that, Marc rolled his eyes. “I obviously know he’s not a virgin, I’m not stupid. It just feels… weird. I should be the one doing the walk of shame.”

“I should hope _you_ wouldn’t be doing the walk of shame.”

“You know what I mean! But that’s not even the best bit…”

Álvaro arched an eyebrow, the mischievous look on the intern’s face intriguing him far more than he would ever care to admit. “What is then?” Grinning like a Cheshire cat, Marc made an exaggerated gesture with his head, seemingly in the direction of one of his colleagues… “Maria?”

“Shhh! She wasn’t working last night.”

“Neither was I…”

 _Oh, Álvaro…_ “Do you not remember the night you met Alex in the bar? We thought there was something between the two of them?”

“Yeah, and then we didn’t.”

“At the time. But I definitely think so now, I think Alex, my baby brother, is fucking Maria. I have to say, I’m proud of him.”

 _I really don’t think Alex is fucking Maria but if you think so…_ “Well, I wouldn’t go announcing it to everyone. If that is the case, and it may not be, I doubt either of them will want it to be common knowledge. Let them be.”

“Fine, but I am so interrogating him tonight.”

*****

“I was going to give this one to Ricky but I thought I would be nice…” Jorge commented dryly, the only hint that he was the tiniest bit amused the way the corners of his mouth tugged upwards, leaving Marc very confused until his boss pressed the button for the fifth floor, the elevator doors closing.

“You could have still given it to Ricky, I wouldn’t have minded-“

“No, I wouldn’t have. Even if you do decide to stay in neuro, I’m not going to put a blanket ban on you going near the fifth floor. If a case comes up in paeds, I’m going to let you get your fix. But you may not be thanking me… I think this is going to be a difficult one.”

Frowning, but still happy nevertheless, Marc flipped the file Jorge had placed in his hands open, skimming the through the seemingly never-ending pages of medical history. “Wow…”

Jorge arched an eyebrow. “I’m pretty sure ‘wow’ isn’t the most appropriate word.”

Cheeks turning pink, Marc bit down on his lip. “You know what I mean.”

 _Unfortunately._ “Yeah, I do.”

*****

“I have to say I’m surprised… I thought you’d be keeping him away from me at all costs,” Dani commented, hint of a smile on his face when they ran into each other in the corridor, all headed in the same direction.

Jorge gave a brief roll of his eyes, falling into step with his colleague as they neared closer and closer to the patient’s room. “I don’t think you’re going to run away with him somehow. I’m a doctor who does what’s best for the patient, and what’s best for the patient is Marc. And the patient is also what’s best for Marc so it’s win-win.”

 _Damn right I am._ “Thanks?”

“Well, it’s nice to see you around here again, Marc,” the paeds attending smiled, albeit briefly, pulling the door open when they reached their destination and gestured for the other two men to go ahead.

Even the little girl’s extensive medical history could not have prepared Marc for the sight that they were met with, that was his first thought when he laid eyes on the patient. She was so frail, so thin and delicate that she looked as if she would break if you even thought about touching her. Right by her side were a man and a woman, the parents obviously, that very much looked as if they’d seen better days.  Which was completely understandable.

“Lucía, this is Dr Lorenzo and Dr Marquez. Dr Marquez, Dr Lorenzo, this is Lucía, one of my very special patients,” Dani smiled, although it was clearly tinged with sadness, as he gently brushed his hand over her hair. “And these are her parents, Elena and Martín. I really need you to take care of her for me, okay?”

Nodding, Jorge smiled softly, placing her chart down on the bottom of the bed. “That I can do.”

*****

“You know what I’m going to say…”

 _Ugh, yes I do._ Giving and exasperated sigh, Jorge took another sip of his coffee, knowing he was only delaying the inevitable.

Knowing he probably should be at least a little bit irked but unable to help his amusement, Ricky reached out and threaded their fingers together atop the table. “Because if I don’t it’s never going to be said.”

“And that’s a good thing.”

 _You’re like a stubborn child._ “Jorge… you do know you can’t avoid it forever?”

The attending just gave a little shrug, face unchanging as his eyes briefly scanned the menu in front of him. “I can try.”

“So what,” the younger man began, arching an eyebrow in genuine curiosity, “You’re just going to keep me hidden away forever?”

Giving his husband’s hand a reassuring squeeze, Jorge shook his head, knowing this was hurting Ricky more than he was letting on. “No, not at all. It’s just we got married in secret-“

“-which was your idea-“

“-and I don’t know how to spin that one just yet.”

“And once again you’re afraid of your father. How many times have I told you that he doesn’t own you? And you most definitely do not owe him anything.”

 _Ah, so we’re not on the same page._ “Ricky?”

 _Why are you laughing?_ “What?” the resident pouted.

Chuckling, Jorge shook his head, lifting his husband’s hand and pressing it against his lips. “I’m not talking about my father.”

“You’re not?”

“I don’t care what _he_ thinks anymore; it’s my mother I’m worried about. And Laura… How am I supposed to explain to them that I got _married_ without them being there? You might not have a husband anymore…”

 _Ah._ “Well, we can exactly pretend that we’re not married for the rest of our lives…”

“I know…”

“And the longer we wait the more upset they’ll be.”

“I know.”

“So, by that reasoning, we should tell them sooner rather than later. To minimise potential damage.”

The older man sighed, letting his head drop slightly, well aware that Ricky was right and that he was just attempting to delay the inevitable. “Okay. _Okay_. You make the arrangements, I’ll be there.”

Cracking a grin, always that little bit smug when he got his way, Ricky arched an eyebrow. “Promise?”

 _I’m going to regret this…_ “Promise.”

*****

“This little girl…” Marc began, words catching in his throat, eventually disappearing as he and Dani sat in front of the monitor waiting for the scans to materialise.

Moving the mouse absentmindedly, just for something to do, Dani nodded. “Yes.”

 _That is so cruel._ “H-how long?”

 _That’s just it…_ “Not long enough. Fifteen months if they’re really lucky.”

A lump formed in Marc’s throat as he thought of that, finding the fact that that beautiful little girl wouldn’t see the age of seven unfathomable. “That’s not fair. That shouldn’t happen.”

 _You’re telling me._ “No, it shouldn’t. Not at all..”

“But it does…”

 _And I pray every day I’ll never experience the pain that those people are experiencing._ “But it does.”

“Dani?”

“Hmm?”

Hesitating for a moment, Marc chewed on his lip. “If I ask you something will you be completely honest with me?”

“Yes?”

“Do you ever get over seeing children, innocent children, like that?”

Letting out a whoosh of air, the scans thankfully popping up on screen, Dani took a minute to contemplate that, feeling no sense of relief whatsoever, the images confirming what he had been hoping, praying, they wouldn’t. “No, but for the ones that you can save… it’s worth it.”


	36. ...Then Why Do I Keep Counting?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay... I don't think I can say too much about this one... :P :/ Be warned, some sad medical stuff

“Ah, Marc…” Jorge smiled, running into his intern as the younger man stepped off the elevator, “Just the person I was looking for.”

Heart still thumping, hoping it wasn’t too obvious that something was up, Marc tried, and failed, to breathe evenly. _Am I really going to do this? It’s not too late to just run away…_ “Good, because I need to speak to you…”

*****

Aleix eyed his brother suspiciously, his gaze lingering on the younger man even as he bit and chewed his baguette, the grin on Pol’s face as he replied to yet another text too big to ignore. “Who’s that?”

Frowning, Álvaro looked up from his own phone, face the picture of confusion. “My boyfriend…?”

 _Really, Álvaro? Really?_ “Not you! Him!”

Pol had been so preoccupied by the borderline not safe for work messages that he had been on the receiving end of that he didn’t even noticed the other two men staring until he put the phone down again, smile still firmly in place. “Huh?”

“Who’s the not-so-lucky person?”

“There is no person…”

Álvaro scoffed. “There’s definitely a person. People- you- don’t just smile like that for no good reason. You’ve got it bad…”

Indignant, the paeds intern’s jaw dropped. “I have not got it bad! Can’t a person smile for no good reason?” He argued, his case very much undermined by the fact that his phone vibrated once more, the smile returning with a vengeance.

“We believe you… millions wouldn’t.”

Cheeks warm and pink, Pol spooned some rice into his mouth but not before muttering something akin to ‘nosy fuckers’ under his breath.

*****

The short trip from the first floor back up to the fifth was spent almost completely in silence, the only communication between the two a quiet ‘thank you’ on the older man’s part when Marc let him get into the elevator first. It wasn’t as if there was much that could be said anyway. What could anyone say in such a situation? What could make something like _that_ any more bearable?

Marc watched Dani the whole time in the lift, which he could get away with since the paeds attending’s eyes were focused intently on one particular spot on the floor in front of him. He’d always fancied himself a logical person, ever since he’d been a young boy, but it would be a lie to say that Marc hadn’t spent every moment of that elevator ride thinking; hoping, praying that there was something that could give that little girl some more time, if nothing more.

But there was nothing that could be done, Jorge had said as much- albeit apologetically- himself when he’d seen the scans. Sometimes life was just plain cruel.

“Dr Pedrosa,” Lucía smiled, not completely reaching her eyes but a noble attempt for someone of her health, when they re-entered the room. “Did you look at the pictures?”

He returned the smile, if only for her sake. “Yes, I did. Lucía, I’m just going to speak to your parents outside for a minute, okay? Dr Marquez will stay here and keep you company.”

That obviously told the parents all they needed to know, tears beginning to fall from the mother’s eyes before she even left the room, pausing only to brush her fingers over her daughter's cheek. The two that were left behind remained silent until the door had closed, the youngest taking the initiative, finding words when Marc really couldn’t. _Fuck this day._

“Dr Marquez?”

Attempting to swallow the lump that had formed in his throat, Marc perched on the edge of the bed. “You can call me Marc.”

“Marc? It’s bad isn’t it?”

 _You are way too young to even be thinking like that. It’s so unfair._ Taking a moment to look at her, really look at her, Marc suddenly felt all faith he had in himself and medicine disappear. One look in those green eyes, all hopeless and sad, managed to do that. “Dr Pedrosa is the best doctor for children in Spain, probably Europe…”

“Marc?”

Eyes beginning to sting, he had to work incredibly hard to keep from falling apart altogether. “Hmm?”

“Please don’t give me hope.”

*****

“Elena, Martín…”

“Don’t, Dani. Don’t We’ve done this too many times before. You don’t get to do that anymore. Please, just tell us…” the mother begged, feeling as if she had hardly anything left to give anymore. Hardly even a person anymore…

 _Times like this I hate my job so much._ “The scans weren’t good. Not at all. I’ve consulted with Dr Lorenzo and we both agree that surgery isn’t a viable option at this stage.”

“What- what does that mean?”

Inhaling deeply, Dani let his eyes drop to the floor momentarily, feeling like the biggest asshole to ever walk the earth. “It means that if Dr Lorenzo operates she’ll die. The tumour is too big and it’s in the worst possible place. Any attempt to remove it would be fatal.”

Placing his hand on his wife’s shoulder as she began to sob again, hand clutched to her mouth, wondering for a moment how she had any tears left, Martín took a deep breath. “How long?”

It took Dani a minute to answer because saying it out loud, telling her _parents_ this, made it too real. Saying it meant that it was definite. “Right now… I would say about six months. Give or take a couple of weeks. I’m so sorry…”

*****

“Mamá and Papá are crying…” Lucía observed, craning her neck so that she could see through the window, the defeated look on Dani’s face in addition to the disconsolation of her paretns telling her everything she needed to know.

The truth was, Marc was angry- so angry- with the situation. What could he possibly say to that? What could he do to make this any way better? “They love you very much.”

“Can I tell you something?”

“Of course.”

“I wish that I had a brother or sister a lot. Then they would still have someone to love.”

*****

“I wish it were over... it would be better for all of us.”

“Martín!” Elena gasped, pulling away from her husband’s shoulder to look in him in absolute horror. “Don’t you say that. Don’t you _dare_ say that. We have less than six months left with her- with our _daughter_. You don’t get to wish a _second_ of that way. You don’t get to do that.”

“I’m tired of this, okay? I’m tired of hospitals and doctors and sickness. I’m tired of watching her fade away, little by little, every day. I’m tired of waking up every hour at night to make sure she’s still breathing. I’m _tired_.”

Dani felt the anger beginning to bubble away inside him, that coupled with the sadness he himself felt, the sense of failure he felt, meaning that he couldn’t just hold his tongue like he would have done any other time. “Your wife is right,” he began, clear disdain in his voice, “You don’t get to say that. _You_ don’t get to be _tired._ ”

The husband’s jaw fell open slightly. “You don’t get to tell me how to feel, you’re not her father.”

Holding up his hands, Dani nodded. “You’re right. But I am a father. And if that were my daughter… You don’t just get to give up on her like that, no matter how little time she has left. _You_ have to be the brave one, no matter if she has weeks, days, hours left. You’re the parent, you don’t get to be tired. You have to fight as hard as she’d fighting because this is all the time she has left. Those couple of seconds that have just gone by… they’re seconds that you’re never going to get back. They’re seconds that your daughter is never going to have again. And when all that time is up…. When Lucía is _gone_ , then, believe me, you’re going to be the one that’s sorry because you’re never going to have that chance again.”

He’d barely finished when the door of the room opened and Marc stepped outside, looking completely shocked by the raised voices in the corridor. “Dr Pedrosa-“

“So go in there, look your daughter in the eye, and say that again.”

No sooner had the words left his mouth than Dani was gone, the thought of it all sickening him so much that he couldn’t even stand to be there, leaving everyone in his wake bewildered.

Cheeks now red, Marc swallowed hard. “Sorry about that, I’m just going to…” he explained meekly before setting off after his superior, wondering what the fuck was going on.

*****

Catching the door just before it swung shut, Marc stepped inside the on-call room after the paeds attending, the shock of what he’d just witness still etched on his face. That wasn’t Dani- Dani Pedrosa didn’t just lose his cool like that, especially when the patient was just a couple of feet away. “Okay, would you mind telling me what all that was about?”

The attending jumped slightly upon hearing the intern’s voice sound suddenly from behind him, his adrenaline still pumping. “There’s a special place in hell for people who abandon their children.”

 _There- what?_ Frowning at the burning intensity in the older man’s eyes, something he’d never seen before, Marc remained silent for a moment. “They just found out they have only a couple of months left with their only child, they’re entitled to say some things that they don’t really mean-“

“No, Lucía doesn’t deserve that. She does _not_ deserve that!”

 _This is not you. What the hell is going on?_ “Dani… where’s all this coming from? I get that you care for her and I understand that you must be devastated but-“

Anger reaching a stage where Dani was starting to worry that he would just burst into tears, beginning to shake, the older man shook his head. “No, you don’t understand. You can’t understand. You have no idea.”

“You’re right, I’m not a father. But, Dani, you were a little out of line-“

“Don’t you dare tell me that I was out of line, Marc. Not unless you’ve had to look your daughter, your four year old daughter, in the eye and explain why her mother just walked out of her life without saying goodbye. Parents... their job is to stay when it gets hard.”

And with that Marc stopped dead, his mouth falling open as he continued to stare at the older man, looking for some indication that that had been a lie. He found nothing. All he saw was Dani- Dr Daniel Pedrosa, celebrated paediatric surgeon- more vulnerable than anyone should ever look. The attending opened his mouth as if he was going to speak before, obviously deciding against it, closing it again. Marc felt his stomach clench, wanting to apologise for his hardship but also wanting to apologise because he felt like he was intruding on an inherently private moment. But that was something Dani chose to share with him, and he couldn’t just stand there gaping like a fish.

“I’m sorry.” _You really can’t come up with something better than that?_

A humourless giggle escaped him. “Yeah, that’s pretty much the usual reaction.”

“I… Sorry, I know my pity is probably the last thing you want. Was… was it sudden?”

 _You’re talking like she died. For all I know she could have._ “Yeah, it was sudden. Well, if coming home from work at all hours of the night to find her all packed and ready to go constitutes sudden…”

 _What a bitch_. Marc folded his arms across his chest, just for something to do, still a little bit unable to believe that anyone would walk out on _Dani Pedrosa_. “That’s awful.”

 _And I can’t believe I just made you one of a select group of people that know._ Dani rubbed his arm, the intensity of the younger man’s gaze on him making him squirm, the room suddenly too small. “Not only did she leave, she's left me in a situation where her daughter- our daughter- is too afraid to ask about her in case it upsets me again. And I know she has so many questions, how could you not when you haven't seen your mother in three years? At this point I'd say Carla even doubts she ever existed at all..." Swallowing hard, Dani shook his head, willing himself not to cry. "So maybe now you can understand just a little bit why I’m such an asshole all the time… I didn’t- I didn’t use to be…”

“Hey,” the intern took a step forward, not really understanding why himself, just no longer able to stay in the one place, “you are _not_ an asshole. Okay, maybe I didn’t think you were the nicest when I first got here but the more I got to know you... the more I began to realise that you weren’t just the person I looked up to; you were so much more," pausing, Marc managed to crack a small smile, "So I hope you’re happy, because literally no one could ever compare to yo-“

He never got to finish that sentence. But finishing it quickly became the last thing on his mind... Because Dani Pedrosa had taken one large step towards him. Dani Pedrosa had looked him right in the eye.

And Dani Pedrosa had kissed him.

*****

 _Okay…_ Eyeing his intern warily, the neuro attending nodded, stepping out of the way as two nurses walked past.“Right, well fire away.”

Taking a deep breath, Marc nodded, more for his own benefit than Jorge’s. _You can do this…_ “I… I just wanted to let you know that I’ve made my decision. I don’t need any more time…”


	37. Somebody Else's Guy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for the response to the last chapter! I'm glad you liked it! ;) So... Marc and Álvaro or Marc and Dani? Or maybe Álvaro and Dani... :P

“Dani,” the doctor smiled, holding the door open wide for the paediatrician, “Good to see you.”

 _I wouldn’t exactly call it good._ Muttering his half-hearted reply, too anxious and fidgety to give any more, Dani hardly even waited for the older man to gesture for him to come inside as he always did, brushing by him and heading straight to the chair.

Knowing that this would be an interesting encounter, Mick took his time closing the door, only stopping by his desk to pick up his notepad on the way to the couch before sitting down opposite the surgeon. “It’s been a while, I thought I’d never see you again.”

“I know, so did I…”

“May I ask why you felt the need to come see me today?”

 _That’s the million euro question._ Dani shifted, suddenly feeling very uncomfortable, needing a moment to gain the confidence to disclose his reasons. He knew he could take as long as he wanted, since it was only his time he was wasting. Swallowing hard, he scrubbed his face with the heel of his palm. “I fucked up. So badly.”

*****

Nerves reacting as if he’d just been hit with some electric current, Marc jolted but by no means did he recoil. No, he remained firmly stood where he was, only aware of Dani and how his lips were pressed against his. Somewhere in the back of his mind, hidden behind the shock, Marc knew he should have turned and ran in the opposite direction- that this was wrong on so many levels- but found himself unable to move.

Or maybe it would have been better if he had been _unable to move_ because, technically, he was able to move… just not in the right direction.

Closing the space between them completely, Marc’s hands somehow found their way to Dani’s hair, quickly getting tangled up as he met the older man’s lips with just as much force and enthusiasm which was very eagerly accepted”. A soft moan escaped the attending as Marc very willingly granted his tongue access, pushing the intern closer and closer to the wall. He had no idea what the fuck he was doing but when Marc had said those things… it seemed like the right thing to do, what he had to do. Marc was reciprocating, he wasn’t completely repulsed by the thought of kissing him and the thought of _that_ was doing some very funny things to him…

 _Fuck, you’re beautiful._ Dani marvelled as he opened his eyes once again, Marc’s closed but somehow giving much more away, once the younger man was pressed firmly against the wall, the only thing between their bodies the thing layer of scrubs. “Marc…”

And that was what did it, that one little word, his name, put everything into perspective far too quickly, but way too late at the same time, for the neuro intern. It wasn’t Álvaro’s lips on his. It wasn’t Álvaro’s body pressed against his. It wasn’t Álvaro. His _boyfriend. Oh my fucking god._ Blind panic suddenly washed over him, quickly drowning out the pleasure, and Marc mustered up every ounce of strength he had to push the older man away from him. One more minute and that would have been an infinitely more difficult task…

“I can’t do this. I can’t do _this_. Álvaro… he’s my boyfriend and you’re his _boss_. I… can’t.”

Marc didn’t hang around for a reply, needing to get as far away from that room and _Dani Pedrosa_ as was humanly possible. His stomach clenched violently, the contents of his stomach almost making a reappearance as guilt began to consume him.

_I hate myself for what I just did. But… I enjoyed it._

*****

Masking his shock like the pro he was, Dr Doohan merely raised his eyebrows and jotted some sparse notes about what he’d just been told down. “Wow, that’s quite something.”

Chuckling humourlessly, Dani nodded. “Yeah, it was _something_ alright. I kissed my resident’s boyfriend. I kissed my _friend’s_ boyfriend. And you know what the worst part is?”

“Go on…”

“He kissed me back. He kissed me back _a lot_.”

*****

_“Hey, Marc, it’s Álvaro… I’ve been trying to get in touch for a while so I hope everything is okay. Anyway… I’m just about to head into surgery so I’ll talk to you later on I guess? Love you.”_

*****

“Right…” Waiting with bated breath, though he would never admit it, Jorge tilted his head slightly as he continued to watch his would-be protégé carefully, the younger man suddenly struggling for words despite his previous determination.

 _Right. This is it. Do it, Marc. Just do it._ “I’m staying in neuro, I’ve decided. No more wondering if I’m in or out. I’m in, completely. I’m ready to take the first step on the path to becoming the next you… a neurosurgeon. A damn good one.”

Expecting the complete opposite but delighted nonetheless, Jorge chuckled out of relief rather than amusement. He’d done it, he’d out-wooed Dani Pedrosa. Dani Pedrosa with his sad, sick children. That was some feat. “I can’t tell you how happy I am to hear that, Marc. You’ve made the right decision, I promise you. Greatness awaits you, my young apprentice.”

Marc didn’t doubt it was the right decision to go with neuro but there was no denying that it was the circumstances that had made it so. His choice probably wouldn’t have been the same the previous day but he had absolutely no choice in the matter, not now. Not when he’d fucked everything up so completely. It was just pure luck that he had other options so that it didn’t immediately mean the end of his career at Monlau…

“I know. And I’m happy that I can finally concentrate all my energy on neuro. I’m sorry if I’ve been distracted…”

“I’m just glad that you know for sure now and we can move forward. This is a good thing, Marc, really good. To celebrate, I’ve got a shunt implantation that I was going to get Ricky to do but if you’re up for it…”

 _Anything to keep me away from… certain people._ “I would love to. Thanks again for your patience.”

Smiling like the cat that got the cream, Jorge clapped his intern on the back, squeezing his shoulder firmly as he placed the file into his hands. “Don’t worry about it. Now go, operate. And enjoy.”

Marc managed to crack a smile for his mentor’s sake, lingering for a moment as Jorge headed off down the corridor, watching him disappear, before going in search of the person he really needed to speak to…

Tito.

*****

“And how long have you had feelings for this intern?”

Dani started at his psychiatrist’s words, crease forming between his brows as he frowned. _No, no, no…_ “I don’t have feelings for Marc.”

Sitting back in his chair, Mick shrugged softly. “So you just decided to kiss him out of the blue?”

“Yes.”

 _No._ “Dani, there has to be a reason you felt the need to kiss him. It’s been what, three years? In that time you’ve never spoken about a romantic partner, potential or otherwise, other than Natalia. But yet… you’re telling me about Marc.”

“Yeah, because I could have just made one of the biggest mistakes of my life.”

“But why bother? Why did you risk your relationship with Álvaro for the sake of a kiss? You say he ran away and I’ve gathered you weren’t planning on going anywhere… Why? What is it that made you think that would be a good idea?”

 _No, I am not going there._ “I was upset, he was there. He _understood_. He’s just… different, and brilliant. And he’s never going to be able to even look at me again.” _And that thought hurts much more than I would ever care to admit._

 _Different…_ Mick saw two possibilities here… One: Dani did, in fact, have romantic feelings for the intern. Two: he’s attempting to surround himself with people that are the polar opposite of his ex-wife. And the two weren’t mutually exclusive… “You say he ran away?”

“Yes.”

“But he also ‘kissed you back. A lot.’”

Squeezing his eyes shut momentarily, not wanting to let his mind wander down that path again, the attending nodded. “Yes,” he answered, voice suddenly croaky.

“And why do you think he kissed you back?”

“I… I don’t know.”

*****

“Marc-“

“I need to speak to you.” Feeling as if he would burst into tears at any moment, the neuro intern grabbed his best friend by the arm, more to keep himself grounded than anything.

Despite the fact that he had been just about to tell the younger man that he really needed to go see Nicky, Tito found himself nodding, the look on Marc’s face more than enough to tell him that this was something that probably couldn’t wait a couple of hours. “Yeah, sure. In… private?”

 _I’m so happy that there’s someone I can talk to. Even if you hate me afterwards._ “Yeah, private.”

Now very worried but hoping he was hiding it well, the ortho intern briefly looked around, spotting a supply closet that would do just fine. _Why deviate from precedent._ “In here.” Both briefly looked around to make sure there was no one that would see, people jumping to conclusions the last thing either of them, particularly Marc, needed. “So…” he began again once the door was firmly closed, giving the area a quick once over to ensure that it actually was deserted, “what’s the matter?”

“Tito… I… I fucked up. I fucked up worse that I’ve ever fucked up before.”

 _Oh god…_ “Marc, what did you do?”

Teeth digging into his bottom lip hard enough to draw blood, Marc blinked back the tears that were threatening to spill over his lashes. Never had he been so ashamed of himself. Never had he wished so hard that he never even existed in the first place. “I cheated on Álvaro.”

 _Fuck._ Trying his hardest not to look judgemental but shocked nonetheless, Tito inhaled sharply. “With who?”

“With Dani Pedrosa.”

 _I knew it. Somehow I knew before you even told me. Remember that time you told me you hated cheaters…_ “Okay.”

Marc frowned. “Okay?” _Okay… that’s what you have to say. **Okay**_.

“Sorry, I’m just processing… When did this happen?”

“About twenty minutes ago.”

“You didn’t…”

The inference made his stomach clench, bile threatening to make an appearance. “No, I didn’t have sex with him if that’s what you’re wondering. He was upset and… he kissed me.”

“But it was just a kiss?”

 _Well…_ “It would have been just a kiss but…”

“But?”

“I kissed him back. _Hard_. And I almost let him do what he wanted with me.”

Chewing on his lip, Tito hesitated, not exactly sure what the younger man wanted him to say. “What stopped you?”

 _Well that’s easy._ “Álvaro. My _boyfriend._ I love him and I’ve fucked up so badly that I can’t even stand to look at myself.” _Or him_.

“Do you love _Dani_?”

The question took Marc completely off-guard. “Do I love Dani?” He got a simple nod in answer. _Why are you asking me this?_ “I don’t love Dani.”

 _Right._ “But could you?”

“No.” _But I think I’m lying._

“No.” _I think you’re lying._

*****

Rising from his seat, Dani shook the other doctor’s hand. “Thanks for your help.”

Dr Doohan frowned in confusion. “But we haven’t come to a conclusion.”

 _No, we haven’t._ “But I know what I need to do.”

*****

Marc: Hi. I just got out of surgery and I’m heading to bed. I’ll talk to you tomorrow?

Álvaro: Yeah, okay. So you’re alright?

Marc stared at his phone, surgical cap tucked under his arm, finger’s hovering over the key pad as he contemplated how exactly he should reply to that.

Marc: I’m fine. Night.

Álvaro: Night <3

He reread that message a couple of times, finding meaning where there was none, so little yet so much said at the same time. _Loyal, faithful, good._ Stifling a frustrated scream with the back of his hand, Marc used the other to launch his phone off the wall of the locker room, the broken pieces a metaphor for what he’d just done to his and Álvaro’s relationship.


	38. Bizarre Love Triangle

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry I left you hanging for so long! I needed to take a break from MotoGP stuff during the offseason or else I would never get everything done all year round instead of just nine months of the year :P I hope you're all still with me because there's lots of stuff I'm looking forward to writing but if you're not I'll understand too ♥ 
> 
> I probably should explain that everything except for the beginning and ending is chronological. Just in case it gets confusing. It starts at the present and goes back in time before coming to the present again because I love to create confusion...

Groaning as he felt someone shift in the bed next to him, Marc tried to ignore it and get back to sleep. He figured he at least had another forty minutes left and wasn’t willing to part with that without a fight, especially when he had such a long day ahead. The person obviously sensed he was awake, or else didn’t care enough to know, a pair of arms wrapping around him as he shuffled forward, his chest now pressed against Marc’s back.

And suddenly Marc didn’t mind so much. Relaxing again, a smile began to tug at the corners of his mouth as a pair of lips descended upon the crook of his neck. “Morning.”

“Mmnning.”

A low chuckle sounded in his ear and Marc finally opened his eyes, the still too dark room telling him that yes, he did in fact have longer left to sleep. But somehow he found that he didn’t mind so much. Turning over, Marc couldn’t help but smile when his eyes locked with another pair, ones that he’d come to know very well recently- some much so that he was sure he had memorised every flicker of colour.

“Sleep well?”

“Would have slept better if I hadn’t been rudely awoken…”

Arching an eyebrow, the other man grinned. “Ah okay... So I won’t do this then?” Within seconds his lips descended upon Marc’s, the younger man reacting very favourably despite himself. Marc’s hands found their way to the back of his neck, making sure they were as close as was physically possible. Squeezing his eyes shut once again, he felt himself getting painfully hard already, a little bit of guilt tagging along with that.

“Nope… keep doing that.”

And he did just that, throwing a led over Marc’s waist so that he was now straddling him. Marc’s hips bucked up involuntarily at the contact, eyes still firmly shut. Unfortunately, that was short-lived as the all too familiar beep of a pager sounded on the bedside table. Both men groaned, knowing that could only mean one thing.

Pouting at the loss of contact, Marc watched as the older man leaned over to grab the offending device, watching as his face fell. “It’s my other boyfriend. Sorry, I’ve got to go.”

The choice of words didn’t sit too well with the neuro intern, who had to fight the urge to squirm as he was met with a quick but not so chaste kiss. “Hmmm…”

“See you later?” the other man asked, clothes on in record time.

“Yeah, see you later.”

*****

The trip back to his apartment passed in a blur. In fact, after parking in his allocated spot, Marc’s eyes widened and he gripped the steering wheel tighter, wondering how exactly he’d made it home in one piece. He tried to remember something after getting into the car but nothing came, he had been on another planet completely.

Alex was still up, seeing as it was little after nine, when he got in- tucked up under a blanket on the couch with a bowl of popcorn in his lap. Marc had expected to feel better at the sight of his brother but, astonishingly, he didn’t. It actually made him feel _worse._ It made sense; Alex looked up to him and the thought of his little brother finding out what he did, the inevitable disappointment in him, was not something he could handle. Not right now, anyway.

“Hey. How was work?”

He moved to busy himself with something- _anything_ \- he could get his hands on in the kitchen area. That meant taking down a glass from the press and filling it in the sink. “Hard. Just… really hard. We had this case and… Actually, I’d rather not talk about it, to be honest.”

Alex wouldn’t blame his brother- he could only imagine what he’d come up against in the 16 hours he’d been in the hospital. “That’s fine, you don’t have to. But are you okay? You look upset…”

_No, I’m just a horrible person._ “I’m fine. But I think I’m going to go straight to bed. I just want today to be over.”

“You’re not hungry? Because there’s some salmon in the fridge if you are?”

“No thanks. Talk to you in the morning?”

Watching, brow furrowed, as his brother floated in the direction of his room, Alex felt very unsettled. He’d never once seen Marc like that… not once. But then again, he hadn’t been around him really that often since he’d started at the hospital. It could very well have been a relatively frequent occurrence and he wouldn’t know. Still, a part of him was relieved he wouldn’t be subject to the Spanish Inquisition in relation to his new… _friend_.

“Yeah… talk to you in the morning.”

*****

Marc crawled out of bed at five o’clock in the morning. He’d had enough. Obviously, he hadn’t been under the opinion that he was going to get a full night’s sleep but he really hadn’t expected _this._ Night had come and gone and he hadn’t drifted off to sleep- not even once. And that was mainly because every time he closed his eyes he saw _him_.

He saw Dani. Dani looking right at him with mocha coloured yes that were almost completely black with _something_. Dani close enough that his breath tickled Marc’s nose. Dani’s lips pressed against his…

That kiss was already beginning to haunt him. Marc desperately tried to rewire his brain, to fix it so that it was Álvaro he saw instead, Álvaro kissing him. It didn’t work. And he was pretty sure he knew why that was…

He’d felt something. When Dani’s lips met his, once the shock had subsided, he’d felt something. It wasn’t something that could be easily or accurately labelled by any means but it was significant nonetheless, the difference between just a kiss from someone who was upset and not thinking clearly and something he ought to feel terribly guilty over.

Padding quietly from his room to the living area, (waking Alex the last thing he wanted to do), Marc threw himself down on the couch, pulling the blanket his brother had left there the night before up to cover his entire body, head and all. For a moment he considered quitting, running anywhere that would leave Monlau far enough behind him. That thought was dismissed as quickly as it had entered his head. Running wouldn’t solve anything. It would just make him a coward- well, more than he already was.

It could have been easy- Marc knew he could have- should have- ran the opposite direction the minute Dani’s lips touched his. He and the paeds attending could have kept it between themselves, no harm done. But he’d gone and made things a thousand times worse. Him and his, albeit brief, willingness to let Pedrosa do whatever the fuck he wanted with him.

But that didn’t mean he _wanted_ Dani, did it? No, he didn’t. He loved Álvaro. What happened with Dani was just a moment of insanity, of emotional fragility. Dani Pedrosa had always been his hero, that’s why he kissed him back. Not because he was attracted to him. Certainly not because he _loved_ him.

It was all just a nightmare that would eventually fade. Everything would go back to normal once the dust had settled…

Right?

*****

“Dani,” Jorge smiled, just a tiny bit smug, clapping his colleague on the back as he came to a halt next to the paeds attending, eyes focused on the surgical board in front of them.

Flinching at the touch, still unreasonably on edge despite knowing that Marc had left over an hour ago, Dani didn’t even attempt to smile. “Jorge.”

“I just wanted to say good fight. It was pretty evenly matched. Probably more than I would have liked.”

Not even beginning to try to figure out what Jorge was referring to, Dani half frowned, half grimaced. “What?”

“Marc. I really thought he was going to pick you, especially after today.”

_What the_ fuck _._ “Today?” he asked, trying to hide the fact that his voice naturally went up an octave. Heart thudding violently in his chest, the paeds attending swallowed hard, his breath catching in his throat.

Wondering what the hell he was going on with his colleague, Jorge frowned. “I put him on your case, remember?

“Oh… yeah.”

“He didn’t tell you, did he? That he was choosing neuro?”

_I actually figured as much when he ran out of the on-call room after I kissed him…_ “He didn’t tell me but I knew he would. I’m sure you’ll bring out the best in him.”

Surprised that Dani was giving up that easily, Jorge smiled nonetheless. “He was destined to be a neurosurgeon. He made the right decision.”

Dani said nothing in reply to that. Because the truth was Marc was destined to be a paediatrician- and he’d just made the decision for him. The wrong decision.

*****

Rubbing his sore, tired eyes, Marc let his hands drop to his sides when the elevator came to a halt, a beep signifying that it had arrived. The doors slowly opened, revealing the last person in the world Marc want to run into in that moment. _Fuck my life._

“Uh, I..” Despite the fact that he desperately wanted to say that it was okay, he would take the next one, Marc swallowed hard before stepping inside. _Stop being an idiot and get into the elevator. You’re drawing attention to yourself._ Suddenly, he might as well have been stuck in a four foot box. “Dr Pedrosa.”

“Dr Marquez…” Dani replied, frowning at how long it had been since he had addressed the younger man to his face like that, obviously just as- if not more- uncomfortable as his colleague.

_What do I say now? Should I say something? Or should I just keep staring at the doors in the hope that he’ll somehow disappear…_ Marc was doing just that when he was rudely interrupted by the lift unexpectedly coming to a halt… between two floors.

No, this wasn’t happening. The elevator did not just break down, rendering him trapped with the only person in the hospital he was actively trying to avoid. The only person he had kinda cheated on his boyfriend with…

“No… no, no, _no_.”

“Calm down, I stopped it.”

_You…_ Finally turning to face the attending, he saw that the emergency stop button was indeed pulled out. “ _What_? Why would you do that?!”

Face giving nothing away, Dani just frowned, unsure himself if he was doing the right thing. “I think we should talk.”

“We couldn’t _talk_ somewhere _else_?”

The paeds attending ignored that, taking a deep breath so that he could get what he needed to say out before he lost his nerve completely. “I assume since my resident is still talking to me that you haven’t told him?”

Blinking once, the again, Marc gaped. He wasn’t sure if this was actually happening. Was this actually happening? “I… No, I haven’t.”

Feeling a weight lift off his chest at that, Dani felt that he could breathe a bit better. If only just a little bit. “Okay.”

_Okay? What does that even mean?_ “Yeah, I just… I…”

“It’s okay. You don’t have to explain a thing to me, Marc. I just… I wanted to know if I need to prepare.”

_And by prepare you mean think of a way to explain to your colleague and friend that you made a move on his boyfriend._ “I thought about it,” he admitted, seeing no point in hiding it, “But we all have to work together and it… it was nothing, right?”

For a moment, Marc swore he saw a flash of something that looked nothing like relief in the older man’s eyes. But only for a moment. “Right. It was nothing. I was just…” Making an ambiguous gesture with his hand, Dani shrugged. “I’m sorry, if it means anything. I know it probably doesn’t but I’m sorry for putting you in this position. I spoke to Jorge.”

A lump forming in his throat, Marc caught his bottom lip between his teeth. “I did what I had to do.”

“I know. And I know I fucked up majorly and wasn’t the teacher you deserve. You’ll be an outstanding neurosurgeon, Marc. Don’t let anything or _anyone_ get in your way.”

*****

“There you are!” Álvaro grinned, leaning in for a kiss despite their being right in the middle of the emergency room. “I guess I better call the police and have you struck off the missing persons’ list.”

Marc actually managed to smile at that, the reaction feeling so unnatural now that it made the muscles in his face feel odd, his boyfriend’s presence bringing him comfort more than anything, especially now that he’d spoken to Dani. _You’re still my boyfriend. And I’m going to forget about everything and move on now. It was just a kiss. Just a stupid, emotional kiss that meant absolutely nothing._ “My phone met an untimely end yesterday so I’ve sent Alex on a mission to get me a new one today seeing as he’s got nothing better to do.”

“Well, that explains why you didn’t respond to my invitation to come over for a romantic dinner tonight…” the paeds resident grinned, chewing on his bottom lip.

“Well I’ll definitely be there. I think a romantic dinner is exactly what I need right now…”

*****

Propping himself up on his forearms, catching a glimpse of how ridiculously messed up his hair was in the mirror, Marc smiled. “Álvaro?”

The blond had just hurried back into the room to grab his toothbrush to go from the ensuite, mouth now all foamy. “Hmm?”

“I love you.”

Chuckling, the sound muffled by his full mouth, Álvaro blew him a kiss. “Love you too.”


	39. Falling into Fiction

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So a number of you wanted more Bambi... You got him! *laughs anxiously* 
> 
> I'm sorry...
> 
> Also E!!! Be warned!

“Are you okay?”

Despite his best friend’s hushed question, Marc continued to smile at the guy behind the counter as he bought his lunch, handing over a €10 note. He gave the guy a brief thanks and pocketed the change before picking up his tray once again. “I’m fine/”

 _Forgive me for not believing you given the state you were in the other day._ Arching an eyebrow, Tito continued to eye the younger man warily. “So everything is okay with Álvaro?”

“Everything is _fine_. Perfectly good.”

He knew that, at least from Álvaro’s perspective, that was the truth. The middle of the cafeteria, however, was neither the time nor the place to question it any further. “You know if you want to talk I’m here to listen. I won’t judge or anything…” _And I feel like there’s more to the story than you’re letting on._

Eyes remaining fixed on the table where Maria and Stefan were sitting already, Marc nodded briefly, trying his best to keep from clenching his jaw. “I know, thank you.” His frown very quickly turned into a smile once again as he set his tray down and pulled out a chair. “Hey guys.”

“Good afternoon.”

Eyebrows raising at how chirpy Maria seemed, Tito took a sip of his apple juice. “It’s alright, I suppose?”

“I would like to formally invite you two to my birthday party this weekend. Friday, since it’s the only day most of us are available.”

 _Party… alcohol. Getting drunk. Nice._ “Well, I formally accept. Your 25th, isn’t it?”

Pointedly ignoring the neuro intern’s question, she turned her attention to Tito. “What about you, Ortho? I kinda promised my friends surgeons and this one,” she jutted her chin in Marc’s direction, “is sickeningly in love so…”

Tito looked torn between being amused and plain offended. “So you just want me there to keep your friends company, thanks.”

“Aw, no. I want you there anyway, it’s just…”

“Killing two birds with the one stone.”

“Exactly! That’s a yes then?”

“I’ll be there…”

“Excellent,” Maria grinned, clapping her hands together, “Oh, and Marc? You better tell that brother of yours that I’m expecting him too. He’s still in town, right?”

Trying not to smirk at the fact that Alex had very probably already been invited by her, Marc shrugged. _You think I don’t know._ “Yeah, I’ll mention it to him. He was planning on going home Thursday but I’m sure he can be persuaded to stay… You’re not inviting any of the AA are you?” Granted, the AA wasn’t so much a thing ever since Miller had left, Rins very much falling in with them instead of Pol and co but the name was too catchy to abandon.

“No way. Well… Maverick is coming, but he’s fine, isn’t he?”

 _Maverick?_ “Yeah, well sure I guess.”

“I like Maverick,” Stefan offered, not sure if the cause needed help.

“Yeah, Maverick’s alright.”

“Great. Well, I expect you all there at 8:30 unless you get paged. That’s your only excuse for not being there.”

_Noted._

*****

“You’re fucking lethal, you know that?” Pol growled, biting down on the younger man’s lip as he backed him up against the bedroom wall, hands protecting the back of his head from hitting the concrete. “Your eyes seem so innocent, but that’s not true, is it? You are _far_ from innocent.”

Shiver running down his spine, Alex grabbed Pol’s collar with all the strength he could muster, pulling him as close as possible and feeling his lips bruise with the intensity of the kiss. “Now…”

Grinning into the kiss, Pol cocked an eyebrow. “Now?”

“You’re going to fuck me. _Now_. So you better get moving before I get impatient and opt for a reversal of roles…”

If his eyes were dark with desire before, they were like two cosmic black holes right now. Pulling away, the surgeon saw that the younger man was by no means serious (judging by the blush that had crept across his cheeks) but that offer… It was enticing to say the least.

“Well then… you’re just going to have to do that.”

Alex almost choked, eyes widening to an alarming degree as he tried to ascertain whether he was joking or not. He wasn’t. “Pol, are you…”

“Asking you to fuck me? Not asking, telling. Unless you don’t want-“

Cutting him off with an almost painfully rough kiss, not needing to hear another word, Alex pushed Pol backwards until his legs were pressed flush against the foot of the bed, so far past being patient that he was already fifteen seconds ahead. With one firm push to the chest, Pol let himself fall back onto the mattress while Alex reached over to the nightstand where, he’d learned, all the necessary supplies were kept.

By the time he turned back, the older man was just about finished wiggling out of his pants- and boxers- grinning devilishly at Alex before making a show of flipping over onto his stomach, pretty much presenting himself on a platter with a little note that said ‘Help yourself’.

And that certainly wasn’t an invitation he was going to turn down.

*****

“No offence but I’m actually starting to be glad that Marc chose neuro.”

Dani was just minding his own business, reviewing some charts at the nurses’ station when Álvaro decided to come out with that. To be perfectly honest, he should have been expecting it; not a word had been said about Marc Marquez and his sudden choice since it’d happened and he’d been expecting his resident to be at least a little disappointed.

“Well, I’m glad it worked out well for you.” _Please don’t talk to me about him, it’s bad enough as it is._

Álvaro, still completely (blissfully) unaware of anything it seemed, leaned up against the countertop beside him, arms folded across his chest. “I think it will be good for our relationship in the long run; so we have some space to do our own thing. I mean, not everyone can be a-“ eyes widening, praying that Dani hadn’t noticed his slip, Álvaro stopped himself before he could say too much. “I mean not every couple can work together. There needs to be a balance.”

 _You think I don’t know about Jorge and Ricky?_ Even if he didn’t, he’d gotten _very_ good at keeping secrets. “I know what you mean.”

“At least this way when I go home to him at night we can talk about or day. Because ninety-nine percent of the time they’ll have been different.”

“Are you two moving in together?” he joked. Or at least _half_ joked.

Shrugging softly, Álvaro smiled. “Not right now but maybe soon? Not too soon but I think we’re heading that way. Hopefully anyway. I think he may be the one for me, the one I say forever to and actually mean it this time.”

 _I said forever once too, look where it got me._ The attending’s stomach twisted and he tried his best to hide the grimace that threatened to show on his face as the memories of the other night started to break through the floodgates that he’d purposely erected in order to look himself, and Álvaro, in the eye again. “Wow. Sounds… serious.”

“Yeah, well I’m serious. And I think he is too.”

*****

Almost losing it completely from the noises the older man was making alone, shaking and jerking beneath him as he crooked his fingers and hit _that_ spot once again, Alex closed his eyes tightly, trying to keep from coming right there and then. He knew the longer he spent like this, the less time he would last when he actually found himself inside Pol. And he was far too eager to contemplate prolonging this for even a second longer than was necessary.

Removing his fingers, smirking at the mewl that escaped Pol at the loss of contact, Alex grabbed the bottle of lube and squirted a generous amount into his palm, not even bothering to warm it up before coating and lining himself up. “Ready?” He only got a moan in reply, deciding that that was all the confirmation he needed and pushed, not entirely slow, inside him, lips digging into his bottom lip so hard that it hurt in order to keep from coming right away like the excitable teenager he was trying his very best not to be.

“Fuck, Alex. _Fuck_.”

“Good?”

“Better if you _moved._ Don’t make me beg.”

Alex thought that begging is exactly what he wanted the doctor to do… but maybe at a later date when his balls didn’t feel like were literally going to burst if he didn’t get going soon. Doing as he was told, Alex delivered one thrust. And then another. And another, each time growing in force. His eyes practically rolled back in his head, the feeling of being inside a guy instead of the other way around not entirely better but just… more. Pol was tight- well, going by what he was used to, and every snap of his hips sent him to places he didn’t even know it was possible to reach, begging for his release and at the same time never wanting it to end.

But Pol was right along there with him. Alex was taking him apart, to pieces, with every thrust, pulling out every so often only to full him again just as quickly, turning him into a mewling mess. Eyes screwed shut and forehead clammy, fists balled into the covers… “Please,” he choked out, the tension becoming unbearable very quickly.

It was just in time for the younger man, who felt as if he was hanging on by a solitary thread which was liable to snap at any second. Reaching around to grip Pol’s cock, Alex began pumping it, moving his wrist in time with his hips until he could take it no more and almost screamed when he came, the tightening of his grip around Pol causing him to come tumbling over the edge too, coating the younger man’s hand as Alex continued to stroke him, pressure become less and less until they were both completely spent, collapsing in a heap of tired and unresponsive limbs, sweat and other bodily fluids.

They remained there until Alex started to yawn, pulling out and hauling himself off the bed so that he could go to the bathroom and wash Pol off his hand before he fell asleep right then and there. The older man grabbed for him as he moved away but Alex managed to escape, assuring him that he would be back in a minute with a fond chuckle.

Once he was finished in the en-suite, he padded quietly back to the bed, damp, but warm, towel in his hand to wipe off Pol’s stomach and anything that had gotten onto the covers. Something which they probably should have dealt with properly but it was on top of the duvet and his head was far too fuzzy to have a fight with a duvet cover. That was bad enough when he was completely coherent.

When the towel had served its purpose, Alex tossed it into a corner, just making sure to avoid anything electrical, and shifted so that the other man could pull back the covers and climb underneath. But the time Alex had followed suit, Pol was almost completely unconscious, which was completely understandable seeing as he’d worked on a thirteen hour shift.

So he let himself be manhandled by the doctor as he turned him into the little spoon (despite his height), feeling Pol’s breath tickle the back of neck. Staying where he was, Alex smiled contentedly, he himself drifting off to sleep until one little word ruined all of that…

_“Marc…”_


	40. Ma Douce Souffrance

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took a while. Had it done for a couple of days but I didn't get a chance to type it up. Hope you enjoy and thank you as always! ♥

Alex waited until he was sure the older man was in a deep sleep before making a move. Carefully, he untangled himself from Pol, willing to take all the time he needed if it meant he remained asleep. The last thing he wanted was for Pol to wake, especially since he was 100% sure that he never wanted to say another word to him for as long as he lived.

Grabbing his clothes from where they had been discarded in a pile on the floor, Alex tip-toed out into the hall, closing the door as quietly as he possibly could so that the sound of him leaving wouldn’t reach the bedroom. For a moment he froze, remembering that surgeons had a propensity to finish work at all hours of the night and Aleix could very well have walked in right then and caught him standing there, naked as the day he was born. But the apartment was otherwise completely silent, the lights all turned off, so he allowed himself to relax once again. Well, as much as was possible given the circumstances.

Dressing clumsily but effectively, Alex perched on the arm of the couch as he pulled on his shoes, wracking his brain to make sure that there wasn’t anything else left around the place. Satisfied that there wasn’t, he pulled on his jacket and opened the door, casting one glance back at the moonlit apartment before closing it behind him.

Never to return.

*****

“You’re working tomorrow night, right?”

Álvaro nodded, briefly looking up from the referral letter in front of him. “I am. Why?”

 _Is that a little bit of relief I’m feeling? That shouldn’t be there…_ “Maria’s having a get-together for her birthday at her place. Me and Alex are both going so I was going to ask if you wanted to go too but if you’re working…” As much as it pained him to admit it, he still hadn’t gotten back to feeling completely at ease with his boyfriend (though he hoped the slight awkwardness would continue to fade) and, as nonsensical as it may be, Marc genuinely felt going together to the party would only serve to exacerbate that.

“I’m working unfortunately,” the older man pouted momentarily before breaking into a wry smile when something occurred to him, “Friday night, huh? She really couldn’t have chosen a better day?”

Now completely confused and worrying that it was a significant date that he’d somehow managed to forget, Marc frowned. “What’s wrong with Friday? Friday is our go-to night.”

Arching an eyebrow, Álvaro waited for the younger man to catch on but nothing came. _I’m so glad I get to break the news to you._ “Not Friday per se… Saturday?”

“Álvaro, I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“Saturday the babies are coming.”

Face going completely blank, Marc folded his arms across his chest. “No they’re not, you’re making that up.”

 _You wish._ “Sorry to break it to you but they are. You can go ask Alzamora right now if you don’t believe me.”

 _Fuck._ Accepting that his boyfriend was in fact serious, Marc let his head fall onto the table dramatically while letting out the biggest groan he could muster. “Of all days.”

Too amused by the situation, Álvaro chuckled evilly before taking a sip of his coffee. “Maria obviously doesn’t remember either or she wouldn’t have scheduled a _party_ for the night before. Especially since I’m pretty sure that Emilio is expecting you all here, bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, the next morning.”

“Álvarroooo… can’t you talk to the powers that be and make it stop?”

 _Nice try._ “Not a chance. We all had to do it, you do too.”

“Well I’m just talking about pushing it back a couple of days…”

“Let me know how you get on with that.”

*****

Pol: You were gone this morning when I woke up

Pol: You left

Pol: Alex?

Pol: Talk to me. I’m worried

Pol: Alex…

Hands shaking, he read the messages over and over again. It was pretty clear that he just shouldn’t reply, that doing so would only make things so much worse. But Alex was hurt, and this time he really couldn’t resist…

Alex: How long have you been in love with my brother?

Alex: Actually no, don’t answer that

*****

“Marc! You busy?”

Looking around him for the source of the voice, Marc stopped when he finally spotted Tito with a teenage boy in bed three. “Nope,” he popped the ‘p’, hanging his stethoscope around his neck once again, “On pit duty today. I probably shouldn’t say I’m not busy though, it might be tempting fate. What have you got?”

“This is Luis. He managed to give himself a dislocated shoulder _and_ a broken femur.”

 _Ouch_. Wincing, Marc made his way to the other side of the bed to disinfect once again, pretty sure he knew where this was going. “How did you manage that?”

The patient removed the mask that was supplying the pain relief gas, hint of a smile on his face. “Dirt bike accident. It was so worth it.”

“Yeah,” Tito scoffed, “Let’s just see if you’ll be saying that in a minute. Before we take you up to get your leg x-rayed I’ll have to pop the shoulder back in so it won’t do any more damage. And it’s going to hurt so I need you to put that mask back on and keep breathing deeply, okay? Dr Marquez is going to put pressure on the other one to keep you steady.”

“G-go ahead. The sooner it’s back in the better.”

The neuro intern did as he was told, instructing the patient to keep looking in his direction before giving his colleague a curt nod.

“3, 2, 1…”

Marc, of course, would always describe himself as the furthest from squeamish that you could possibly get. Brains, insides, needles… he could take it all in his stride. But popping bones of any kind back into place was something else entirely, always making him shudder regardless of the circumstances. A shiver ran down his spine as the patient let out a wail, hand gripping Marc’s so tight that the surgeon thought he might need an appointment with Tito next.

“There, all done.”

“Thank fuck for that,” Luis gasped, giving Marc his best apologetic smile given the circumstances before releasing his hand once again.

“I’m just going to let you rest for a couple of minutes before taking you up for the x-ray so just relax.” The ortho intern moved down to the end of the bed, checking cap refills once again to make sure there was no change in situation.

 _Actually, now that I have you…_ “Uh, Tito?”

“Yep?”

“Did you by any chance happen to know that the babies are coming on Saturday?”

Freezing, the older man stopped what he was doing to look up at his best friend. “No, they’re not.”

At least he felt a little bit better that he wasn’t the only one who’d forgotten… “That’s what I thought! But according to Álvaro they are. I’m pretty sure that if both of us forgot we were never told in the first place.”

“Does Maria know?”

“I don’t know, I haven’t seen her yet.”

“I take it she doesn’t. Planning a party the night before isn’t exactly the best idea...”

“It’s too late now to change anything but it kind of…”

“Sucks?”

“Yeah. Exactly.”

*****

Pol: I’m not in love with your brother. Why would you even think that?

Alex: So you always sigh his name when you’re spooning someone. Or is it just because I’m his brother? And I’m not interested in lies

Pol: I’m not in love with him, I promise

 _Fucking great_.

Alex: That’s fantastic to hear. Is that why you wanted me to fuck you? Did you close your eyes and picture him instead?

Alex: Or do we look enough alike to not have to?

Pol: Alex, stop. Please.

Alex: I will don’t worry. Make no mistake, I’m not heartbroken. I just don’t like being used

Alex: Whatever we were doing we’re not doing it anymore

Alex: And Marc thinks you hate him so if you’re planning on making a move… I wouldn’t

Alex: And if you do I hope Álvaro kicks your ass

Alex: Delete my number.

*****

Elevator doors opening, Jorge grinned when he caught sight of his protégé standing there waiting to get in. “There’s my favourite intern.”

 _Oh god… what do you want me to do?_ Eyebrows raising, Marc warily stepped inside, deciding it was a waste of time to press the button for the floor he’d been intending to go to. “I’m your only intern.”

 _Very true._ “I was just going to look for any intern but I’m glad I found you. Are you busy?”

 _Nope, story of my day._ “I’m free at the moment. What do you need me to do?”

“I’m heading into surgery in a couple of minutes so I need you to deliver these scans,” he handed his intern one folder, “to Dovizioso and these ones, “ another folder, “to Pedrosa, okay? But go to Pedrosa first go to Pedrosa first because his shift is just finishing and I want to ruin that.” Seeing the unease on that younger man’s face, Jorge frowned. “That was a joke. They’re just confirming what he already knows.”

Blinking in confusion momentarily, Marc’s brain finally caught up with his ears, cheeks turning minutely pink. “Oh no, I just…” _Good one, you’re really going to explain that?_

“Dani’s not going to hold your choosing neuro against you, if that’s what you’re worried about? I wouldn’t do that and neither would he. None of us would.”

 _Yeah, sure… let’s go with that._ “That’s good. I was just a little bit concerned it would be… awkward.”

Smiling once again, the attending clapped his intern on the back. “No need to be. Oh! Before I forget, I was told to remind you that the babies-“

“Are coming this Saturday,” _you never told me in the first place_ , “Yeah, I know.”

*****

Seeing as Dani was due to finish his shirt, Marc decided that he’d probably save himself a lot of time and effort by going directly to the attendings’ lounge. If he wasn’t there then chances were he’d gotten caught up doing something and there would be time to track him down. Trying to be as quiet as possible so as not to disturb the resting patients, Marc made his way down to the room in question at the far end of the corridor.

Knocking briefly on the closed door, he opened it a fraction before sticking his head inside, having learned fairly quickly that there was absolutely no point in waiting for one of his superiors to answer. Efficiency was in their interests.

When his eyes scanned the small room, however, he really wished he had waited.

“Marc,” Dani’s eyebrows raised, though not unpleasantly so, “Uh, come in?”

The intern attempted to swallow but that was made difficult by the sudden dryness of his mouth and throat definitely not caused by the sight of Dani Pedrosa standing there without the top half of his scrubs. _My timing is fucking chronic. Whyy…_  Mentally chastising himself for acting like a complete weirdo, Marc stepped inside, trying and failing miserably to maintain eye contact. _Oh no… you’re hot._ “Sorry for disturbing… Jorge gave me these scans to give to you.”

“Well he has impeccable timing… I was just about to leave.”

 _Im-_ pec _-cable timing is right_. Chuckling, almost naturally, he made his way over to the attending and placed the file in his hand. “Oh, he knew.”

The thing was, Marc loved Álvaro- he really did. But as someone who had recently enough decided that he was also attracted to members of the same sex, it was hard not to be distracted by his colleague’s physique. It was natural, right? In fact, he had on multiple occasions quietly admired many of his colleagues; it was as simple as merely liking their hair or what they were wearing.

But none of them had had him pressed up against a wall no more than a week previous in a short-lived make-out session…

The corners of Dani’s mouth tugged upwards ever so slightly. “I should have known. Thanks anyway.”

“No problem.” _Leave, you moron. Reverse._ “Dani?”

Now looking a lot more amused, if slightly worried, the attending grabbed a long sleeved shirt from his little cubby and pulled it on. “Yes?”

“I… I just wanted to know how Carla is doing?”

 _Well, that is definitely not what I was expecting_. “Uh… she’s good? She’s developed a phantom itch beneath her cast but other than that she’s great. And she’s just about stopped talking about you.”

 _And now you’re smiling. Good job, Marc…_ Smiling back, the intern chuckled. “Well, I shouldn’t let that happen… Tell her I said ‘hi’? And to resist the urge to scratch."

Pretending to think about it for a moment, Dani eventually conceded. “Okay, I will. She might actually listen if it comes from you.”

“That’s the plan,” the younger man admitted with a wry smile while backing in the direction of the door.

“Marc?”

“Hmm?”

Pursing his lips, Dani hesitated for a moment. “We’re okay, right?”

 _Isn’t that a question…_ To be perfectly honest, Marc wasn’t entirely sure of the answer. Because he knew that he should avoid Dani like the plague just because of what happened, but that was literally impossible. “Yeah… we’re okay.”


	41. Cumpleaños Feliz…

“Happy birthday!” Grinning, Marc leaned in to give his colleague a kiss on the cheek when she greeted them at the door of her apartment, “21 isn’t it?” he winked, handing over the bottle of tequila that he’d stopped into the off licence on the way over for.

Pursing her lips, Maria wagged her finger. “Nineteen actually. Bambi,” waving the older Marquez inside, she pulled Alex into a hug, leaving red lipstick marks on both his cheeks. “I’m glad you could make it. Your brother said you were planning on going home.”

That had been the case, right up until he got the _extensive_ guest list from his brother. Once satisfied that there was no chance that _he_ was going to be there, he was more than happy to attend. “I’d much rather be here than back home.”

“Good to hear that,” the cardio intern winked, closing the door behind him, “Well you pretty much know everyone here and my friends won’t bite. There’s food on the table, drinks on the counter and ice in the freezer. Enjoy!” Flitting off to tend to something in the over, Alex stood there awkwardly for a moment, Marc having disappeared to god knows where. He spotted a couple of his brother’s colleagues. Giving a little wave to Johann before deciding that getting a drink was probably a good place to start.

Grabbing a cup off the counter, Alex eyed the stack of alcohol critically, impressed by the variety. While he usually stuck to beer, not having yet built up a good tolerance to spirits in his 19 years, he decided that if he was ever going to throw caution to the wind then tonight was the night to do it. Unscrewing the cap of one of the many bottles of vodka, the sharp scent of alcohol and lime almost making him woozy in itself, Alex filled the cup a quarter of the way up, topping up the rest with coke. He closed his lips around the cup, taking a small sip. The taste was vaguely familiar, good all the same. Humming appreciatively, he put it down once again in order to replace the cap of the bottle.

“Other Alex, right?" 

The voice came from nowhere, almost causing him to drop the glass bottle. Picking up his vodka and coke once again, Alex turned to see another of Marc’s colleagues standing there; the guy whose face he’d remember as long as he lived after their inopportune run-in in the hospital basement. “Yep, that’s me. Other-other Alex?”

“That’s me,” he gave the younger man a goofy grin as he topped up his drink, “At least I didn’t mistake you for your brother this time. Although you’re kinda the spitting image of each other.”

Alex felt the smile quickly fade from his face. “You’re not in love with him too, are you? Because I think there’s a fairly big queue forming at this stage…”

Perplexed, the surgeons eyebrows practically disappeared above his hairline. “Uh… no? Why would I be in loved with Marc?”

 _Oh god… I’m an idiot._ “I’m so sorry, I shouldn’t have said that. That was really weird…” _But you’re laughing, that’s good?_

“Well, if it makes you feel better I _promise_ I’m not in love with him.

Sure that he was tomato red at this stage, Alex groaned as he dragged a hand over his face. “Can we just forget that I ever said that?”

“Yeah,” taking a sip of his drink other Alex nodded, “I think I can do that.”

*****

“There you are,” Tito chuckled as Marc plonked down on the couch beside him, “was beginning to think you were going to leave me here all on my lonesome.”

“You know like 95% of the people here.”

“Yeah, but none of them are my bestest friend.”

 _Nawww_. “Love you too,” he said briefly, before taking a big gulp from the bottle of beer he had appropriated in the search for the ortho intern.

Tito just watched him in amusement. “Pace yourself, Neuro. The night is young.”

Sticking two fingers up at the older man, Marc swallowed his mouthful before placing the bottle securely between his knees. “I was planning on having a really good time tonight. But no, U have to be fully functional in the morning so I don’t make the hospital and Emilio look bad.”

“You can still have fun without getting hammered.”

He didn’t reply to that, instead placed the bottle against his lips once again, leaving it half empty.

“What’s wrong?”

“What?”

“You’re kidding, right? You know you can’t fool me, so tell me what’s up. Is it Álvaro?”

Not entirely sure himself, Marc gave a little shrug, rubbing his face wearily. “I honestly don’t know. I’m just… restless.”

 _Right._ “Restless as in frustrated or as in anxious?”

 _All of the above. Is that an option?_ “More the first, I think.”

“Do you want to tell me what happened?”

Frowning, Marc took another gulp of his beer, wishing another one would materialise in front of him. “Nothing happened.”

Giving his best friend ‘the look’, Tito altered his position so that they were facing each other. “Marc, tell me what happened.”

*****

Inching awkwardly to the group of interns plus what appeared to be Marc Marquez 2.0, Maverick gave a little wave. “Hey. How’s it going?”

More than a little bit amused by how the plastics intern looked like a little lost soul, Stefan waved back. “Good. You?”

“Good.”

An awkward silence seemed inevitable but, thankfully, Johann decided to be the hero that they didn’t deserve but needed. “This is Marc’s brother, Alex. I don’t know if you two have met before.”

“We haven’t,” Alex confirmed, sticking out his hand, “Nice to meet you.”

“You too. I’m Maverick.”

“So which one are you?”

“Which one am I?”

“You’re like Power Rangers. Tito’s ortho, Marc seems to have finally decided on neuro…”

All present laughing at the comparison, Maverick felt himself loosen up just a little bit. Maybe starting to realise that Maria’s friends really didn’t dislike him like they did the others. “Plastics. And it’s not just nose jobs, I promise.”

“Yeah yeah…” Rins teased, “keep trying to sell that one.”

“Hello,” Maria suddenly appeared, grinning like a Cheshire cat, her palms placed flat against Maverick’s shoulders. Jumping slightly at the contact, he chuckled when he realised who is was, awkwardly moving his neck so that he could give her a kiss. “Look at you, socialising like good boys.”

“We’re doing just fine,” the plastics intern promised, arching an eyebrow in amusement when he saw a series of jaws dropping. Just to add insult to injury, he snaked his arm around her waist, pulling her into his side.

A blush crept over her cheeks. “Uh, did I mention that Maverick is my boyfriend?”

“No, you most certainly did not.”

*****

“Marc…” After hearing the younger man recount the goings on of his little run in with Pedrosa the previous day, Tito had an uneasy feeling in his stomach. It was painfully obvious that Marc was so deep in denial that he was in Africa.

Groaning, the neuro intern let his head fall back against the back of the couch, pouting as he took a swig of the vodka that his friend had offered him. Probably with the intention of getting him tipsy enough to start spilling his guts but he couldn’t find it within himself to care. “Don’t. If you saw him you would think he was hot too. Anyone with _eyes_ would think he was hot.”

 _That may be but there’s one major difference…_ “It’s okay if you’re sexually attracted to him I just think- maybe- you should think about what it means for you.”

“I love Álvaro, okay? He’s my boyfriend and I love him. He’s nice, he’s hot… He’s everything anyone could ever hope for in a boyfriend.”

“I’m not trying to tell you you have feeling for Pedrosa. I’m just asking you to consider the possibility. You said that things between you and Álvaro have been… off.”

Sitting up straight, some of the contents of his glass sloshing out onto his jeans, Marc looked at his best friend as if he’d completely lost the plot. No, he was pretty sure he _had_. “Yes, because I _cheated_ on him,” he hissed, voice a whisper as he looked around to make sure no one was close enough to hear.

 _Are you actually not seeing this?_ “With _Dani_!”

“It doesn’t matter who with!”

“Yes it does! Are you kidding me? Would you kiss… Maverick? Emilio?”

“ _EMILIO??_ ”

 _Well…_ “It was just one of the first that popped into my head! But you know what I’m asking. I’m not saying all of this to make you feel miserable, I’m saying it because I love you and I _don’t_ want you to be miserable. If you and Álvaro have come to the end of the road then that’s natural. If you want to be with Dani, that’s fine. You just can’t be caught between the two. It’s one or the other.”

“I love Álvaro.” His voice was faint so he cleared his throat and tried it again. “I love him.”

Saying nothing for a moment, Tito continued to observe his friend. Finally, he nodded softy, sitting back. “Okay.”

*****

“Can I tell you something?” Face pressed against the cool glass of the widow, foggy with the heat of his breath, Alex adjusted his feet beneath him on the almost too small bay, having rid it of the decorative cushions so that they’d both fit.

“Sure, go ahead.”

“I was fucking Pol.”

Rins, who had just been taking a sip of his drink merely gave him a wry smile and nodded. “Yeah, no shit.”

Heart now beating a hundred miles an hour, Alex nearly fell off the windowsill. “WHAT??”

“Calm down, it’s not common knowledge or anything. It was just pretty obvious when I ran into you two in the _basement of the hospital_ what was going on. And the look on your face…”

“Oh… Oh. Right.”

“Don’t worry,” the surgeon leaned closer, voice now lower, “I’m not going to say anything to anyone. So, you said ‘was’… what went wrong? Or was it just the fact that Pol is Pol that did it?”

Grimacing, Alex weighed up the pros and cons of disclosing his humiliation to someone he’d practically just met two hours ago. The fact that he hadn’t spoken a word to anyone about the whole affair ultimately did it for him. “Well, it was mostly the fact that he thought about my brother when he was fucking me.” He suddenly found himself sprayed with vodka and coke as the other man choked on his drink, coughing to the extent that Alex was worried that he was going to have to get one of the (thankfully many) other doctors in the place to revive him.

“ _WHAT??_ ”

Tapping him on the back, the younger man nodded. “Yeah. Some story, huh?”

“That’s fucking brutal. But know I realise why you asked me if I were in love with your brother...”

“Sorry again about that. It was just a… sensitive area.”

 _No kidding._ “But… Pol hates your brother.”

Alex chuckled humourlessly. “Yeah, apparently not.”

“Fuck.”

“Yeah.”

“I’m sorry, I can only imagine how awful that is. He really is the biggest asshole I know.”

“All I know is he better hope that I never see him again. And that Marc ever finds out because if he does…”

“There will actually be a murder.”

“Yeah. Which is why he really needs to not find out. It’s mortifying enough as it is.”

Drawing a deep breath, Rins shook his head. “Well, you’re way better off without him anyway. You can do _so much_ better than Pol Espargaro, trust me.”

“Thanks. I hope so or my prospects are looking pretty bleak…”

“Seriously, the only way is up. If Pol even thinks he has a chance with Marc then he is sorely mistaken. Especially since everyone in the whole hospital, including Marc, is full sure that he despises him. His methods of seduction are very questionable.”

“That’s probably why he wanted me.”

 _Fuck_. Placing his hand over the other man’s, the ortho intern frowned. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean it like that-“

“It’s okay,” he shrugged it off, plastering a smile on his face, “I’m going to get another drink. Mind my seat?”

“Sure.”

“You want anything?”

“Nope. Unfortunately I have to be at work before 10 tomorrow.”

“Well,” Alex grinned mischievously, having to place his hand on the wall to keep himself steady, “I don’t so I guess I’ll have one for the both of us then.”


	42. And I Would Rather Be Anywhere Else...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys! Sorry it's been so long, it's just I've started my new job like two months ago and I've just had zero motivation to come home and write in the evenings :/ I'm trying to change that now though! Thanks to everyone for sticking with me ♥

+127395027: Hey… this is Alex. Other-Alex. I just wanted to say thanks for helping Marc get me home last night. I’m really not used to vodka :/

+127395027: And I really hope that I have the right number or I’m going to be even more embarrassed. Though I don’t think my brother knows many Rinses?

+444079516: Hello Other-Alex J And yes, you have the right person unless this is a very strange coincidence

Rins: Don’t worry, seriously. After what you told me last night I wouldn’t blame you for needing to blow off a little steam

Other-Alex: A little? I feel like I’m at death’s door.

Rins: Jaja, okay maybe a lot

Other-Alex: Have you got any doctorly advice for me that’s better than Marc’s “it’s your own fault, drink lots of water”?

Rins: Well I would have been nicer about it…

Rins: If you want to come in I’m sure I could set you up with a drip?

Other-Alex: Thanks but I’d rather suffer. I hate needles

Rins: Well then suffer you’ll have to. Take some paracetamol and stay away from the light

Rins: My shift’s about to start so I have to go now. Talk to you later?

Other-Alex: Yeah, sure. Thanks again J

Rins: No problem J

*****

Rubbing his tired eyes with the heel of his hand, Marc wandered absentmindedly in the direction of the cafeteria. Well, he’d done it; managed to haul himself out of bed at a respectable time without too much of a hangover from the party. He’d been envious of his brother’s freedom to drink whatever he wanted the previous night, but after seeing (and hearing) the state he was in this morning he knew who had gotten the longer end of the stick.

“Hey.”

Turning his head, Marc saw that Maria and Maverick had caught up with him, satisfied with the fact that they at least looked as tired as he did. “Morning. Good night?” _Is that a blush I see?_

“The best. Thanks for coming again. Would have been so much better if we didn’t have this thing this morning though. The thought of it is killing me…”

“Bless the person who decided to have it in the cafeteria though,” Maverick offered, “At least now I can arm myself with a cup of their strongest coffee. It’s the only way I’m going to make it through the day.”

Marc, who hadn’t thought of that, thought that it was one of the best ideas he’d ever heard. “I might get two… you think I’ll need both hands?”

“Pff, I think you’ll need three.”

Hesitating as they reached the double doors, the three interns turned to look at each other, not needing to be telepathic to figure out what the others were thinking. “You think it’s too late to run away? This is the point of no return.”

The neuro intern grimaced. “Unfortunately. But it’s a rite of passage, all the residents have done it and they came out the other end okay…”

“That we know of.”

“Okay,” Maria took another step towards the door, “we just have to bite the bullet. We might be there first ones here.” She went ahead and pushed it open upon receiving her colleagues’ approval and one by one they made their way inside, realising very quickly that they were far from the first ones there.

“Fucking hell…” Maverick half-whispered, trying not to look too overtly shocked by the sight in front of him.

“Don’t let them see your weakness!” the cardio intern hissed, making a sharp gesture for them to follow her over to the coffee machine that was thankfully close to the door and on the complete opposite side if the room to where the crowd had congregated.

Feeling the weight of what seemed like a thousand pairs of eyes upon them, the trio tried to go about their business as naturally as possible, each taking a cup from the dispenser while pointedly focusing their gazes on the suddenly very interesting machine. “They’re like Gremlins,” letting Maria go first, Marc risked a glance back at them, “How many do you think there are?”

“I don’t know but don’t feed them or get them wet whatever you do. They’ll only multiply.”

“Why do I get the feeling we’re being thrown to the wolves?” A fourth voice sounded and the original three turned to find that Tito, Stefan and Scott had joined them, all looking equally wary.

 _Safety in numbers I guess_. Letting out a small chuckle as the door opened once again and in walked Rins and Johann, Marc gestured for Mack to go next as Maria began to fiddle with the lid of her cup. “Probably because we are.”

“They might not be too bad. They’re so young and innocent.”

That was met with multiple scoffs. “They may be young but I wouldn’t say there’s an innocent one between the lot of them. We just have to push on and keep our wits about us. We may be outnumbered but we’ve got all the power, remember that.”

 _Thank you very much for that rousing speech, Tito._ Marc waited patiently for the plastics intern’s cup to fill before starting on his own, a sense of urgency beginning to rise as they realised that the powers that be would arrive at any moment and they were damned if they were going to face this without at least a reasonable amount of caffeine flowing through their veins. He had, in fact, been right, just adding sugar to his cup when Alzamora and Ricky arrived, a series of groans escaping the interns as they began to make their way across the room. Rins and Tito thankfully deciding to hang back as Marc furiously stirred in the milk and grabbed a lid, almost scalding himself in the process.

Marc tried to look as impassive as possibly as Alzamora eyed him in quiet amusement as the last of the interns joined the group, obviously waiting to get the show in the road.

“Now that my staff are fully energised… Welcome to Monlau,” the Chief greeted the very eager looking crowd, “Each year we take the top medical students from Catalunya’s universities to join us here for the day so that you can get a good taste of what life for a surgeon here is really like. Better to find out now then two or three years from now when you’ve already chosen your path. You’ll each be assigned to one of our interns,” Emilio gestured to less than enthusiastic looking bunch gathered to his right, “to shadow them for the duration of their shifts. Each has their own specialty, but you will get to see more than just cardio or ortho or general, don’t worry. Make sure to ask them any questions that come to mind- now’s your chance.

“I won’t say much more because there are patients to be seen but your intern will bring you up to speed on all the ground rules and technicalities. I will, however, pass you over to Dr Cardús, our Chief Resident and head of interns, who will split you up into groups of three and four. As Chief of Surgery, let me just say that we hope that you will take something away from your time here with us and hopefully we’ll see some of you back here in a year or two. Ricky, over to you.”

Giving a little smile, Ricky took a small step forward. “Hello. As Dr Alzamora has already said, my name is Dr Cardús and I’m in charge of these lot,” he chuckled, grinning far too widely at the interns who by no means appreciated it, “We’ve randomly assigned you to one of our doctors so when I call your name remember your intern and we’ll split into groups once everyone knows where they’re going. Okay? Right, let’s get started.

“We’ll start with Dr Espargaró’s group. So, Antonelli, Marini and Pawi; you’re with Dr Espargaró. Pol, can you raise your hand please?” Doing what he was told with a smile on his face that looked the slightest bit sinister, Pol gave a little wave.

“Now onto Dr Herrera’s group: Fenati, Martín, Bastianini and Viñales.”

Eyes widening comically, Maria almost choked when that last name was announced, all those privy to her little secret giggling like the school children they were at the misfortune of it all. Maverick had mentioned his cousin was coming, but she’d felt the odds that she would get Isaac were slim enough that she wouldn’t have to worry… Turns out she had been wrong.

One raised eyebrow from Emilio was all it took for them to settle down again.

That moment of weirdness not going unnoticed by Ricky, he decided it was best to move swiftly on. “Right… Okay, Dr Zarco- you’ve got Loi, Canet, Bagnaia and Baldassari. Rins: McPhee, Migno and Salom.

“Dr Viñales, you’ve got Carrasco, Locatelli and Bulega. Lowes, Ono and Norrdin will be with Dr Redding. Dr Bradl will have Hanika, Rodrigo, and Morbidelli. Dr Marquez will have Navarro, Oliveira, Quartararo and Masbou. Last but not least, Kent, Öttl and Mir will be with Dr Rabat.”

****

 “Dr Marquez? A word…” Emilio said lowly, placing his hand on Marc’s shoulder and steering him away from the little group that had just gathered in front of him.

“Yes, Dr Alzamora?”

“I’d like you to keep a close eye on your group. We’re strongly considering them as prospective interns so I’d like to know what you think.”

The neuro intern nodded, slightly surprised that the hospital had its eye on the next, well, _them_ already. It left him wondering if he’d been spotted as a student, set apart from the masses. It also left him wondering why it had been him that had been entrusted with them. “Okay, understood. All of them?”

Smiling knowingly, Emilio clapped the younger man on the shoulder. “I’m not going to give names, I want to know your honest opinion.”

*****

Finally getting a good look at his group once the crowds began to dissipate, Marc realised that they were, in fact, babies; none of them looking old enough to even be out of school. But, then again, maybe that was just a sign that he was getting old…

“Uh, hi,” he smiled, feeling a bit awkward about the whole being in charge of other people- _liabilities_ , no less- thing. “So, I’m Dr Marquez- Marc Marquez- and I’ll be supervising you for the day. You’re probably dying to hear my specialty so you can adapt you expectations for the day accordingly,” he laughed, seeing the guilty looks on his Fantastic Four’s faces, “So you’ll _probably_ be happy to hear that I’m a neurosurgeon in training. Dr Cardús is my resident and our attending is the one and only Dr Lorenzo.”

Marc looked at the name tags stuck to their chests while they got their celebrations out of the way. “So, Alexis?”

“Alex-ee,” the first intern replied, looking as if he would almost rather be called a different name for the whole day than point that out.

“Sorry, Alex- _ee_. Fabio, Miguel and Jorge… Jorge, is it okay if I call you Navarro? Dr Lorenzo’s name is Jorge too and I have a feeling it’s going to create confusion.”

The most timid looking of the four nodded his consent. “That’s fine.”

“Perfect,” grinning for a second, Marc soon reverted to his serious face, “Now we want you to enjoy yourselves but we have to establish some ground rules first, okay? Because if anything goes wrong it’s on me and I kinda like working here so…

“First of all, do not- and I repeat, _do not_ touch anything. Wires, patients, buttons… Keep your hands inside the vehicle at all times. Trust me, I will know,” he warned, glad that they looked at least somewhat convinced, “Stay with me at all times; unless, of course, I’m going somewhere you can’t go, in which case I will tell you where to go and you stay there. We’ll have two breaks together during my shift. In the event that I get called in for a surgery, you can go ahead without me. Feel free to carry around energy bars or whatever in your pockets to keep you going, because I can promise you that it will get hard.”

Satisfied that they all understood, the intern smiled once again, mentally preparing for the most challenging bit. “That’s pretty much it- the rest I’ll fill you in on as we go along, okay? Excellent. Alright… let’s go see some patients.”

 

 


	43. Close Quarters

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _There's an art to life's distractions_  
>  To somehow escape the burning weight, the art of scraping through.  
> Some like to imagine,  
> The dark caress of someone else I guess any thrill will do...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So sorry for the long wait! I misplaced the chapter (though funnily enough it was right where it should have been, I've just been all over the place since moving back to my home city). Let's get the ball rolling again! I'm buried in assignments at the moment but after spending all day everyday in the library, I think I'm entitled to do a little recreational writing in the evening ;)

Giving another quick look-around to make sure that none of his contingent had gone astray, Marc rapped very briefly on the door of the patient’s room once he was satisfied that he hadn’t lost anyone- yet. He didn’t wait for an answer before pushing it open, sticking his head inside to make sure that he wasn’t intruding on any visitors before stepping inside.

“Morning, Mr Rubio,” he greeted the elderly gentleman with his trademark smile, “Sorry about the crowd, we’re hosting medical students for the day so they can see what it’s really like to be a surgeon when they still have time to save themselves.”

The patient laughed easily, giving a little shrug. “Well, I’m sorry that I can’t be more exiting for you.”

“What are you talking about? Nothing gets me going like trapped nerves.”

“Well then, Dr Marquez, you have a very boring life.”

 _I wish_ , Marc couldn’t help but think as he shot the students a look that prompted them to quickly take a step back so that he could get around the other side of the bed. “You know what? You’re absolutely right.”

*****

“Oh, hi,” Álvaro chuckled, almost bumping into Marc and his gaggle of pre-intern interns as he got out of the lift.

Feeling a blush begin to creep up on his cheeks, the neuro intern stepped to one side to allow the couple of nurses who had gathered behind them to go ahead. He would take the next one. “Hi.”

“So do you believe me now?” the older man wondered, raising an eyebrow at the barely-adults.

He decided to ignore that one. “This is Dr Bautista, he’s a second year resident in paeds. Dr Bautista, these are my students: Fabio, Miguel, Alexis and Jorge.”

Shaking each of their hands, Álvaro plastered a borderline creepy salesperson smile on his face. “Nice to meet you. Can I take this opportunity to impress on you the fact that paeds is the place to be?”

“Go pitch to someone else’s students.”

Grinning at the eye-roll from his boyfriend, Álvaro folded his folded his arms across his chest. “You may belong to neuro now but not long ago you were at least half paeds,” he reminded him, as if he could forget, “so don’t go forgetting where you came from.”

“If it bothers you that much then join us for lunch and you can “impress on them” the greatness of paediatricians then.”

“Sounds good. I’ll tentatively accept that invitation.”

“Great. I guess I’ll see you later then?”

“Yeah, see you then.”

*****

As luck would have it, it seemed to be a remarkably quiet morning in neuro. The vast majority of their patients had minor ailments, and nearly all of the more serious cases were in the post-op care stage. Thankfully, that allowed them (mainly Marc) a well-earned coffee break mid-morning.

As he sat one of the tables in the canteen, stirring his coffee a couple of more times than was necessary to buy some time, Marc realised just how difficult it was to keep the conversation going with a group like that. He’d only just met them a couple of hours previous and they were, for all intents and purposes, stuck with each other for the rest of the day. Not that they weren’t pleasant guys.

“So you were in paeds too?”

 _Well done, Fabio, you get that conversation going since I’m failing miserably._ He blamed the party the previous night. “Well, not really. I was put into neuro when I first got here and I never really left. But I always wanted to be a paediatrician. I guess it’s where I expected to end up. The paeds attending, Dr Pedrosa, heard about that and thought I might like to join paeds instead.”

“And you didn’t want to?”

“I wasn’t really sure. I’d been in neuro a couple of weeks already and I really liked it. I worked on some paeds cases with Dr Pedrosa and… well, it was great. But- I don’t know, neuro just seemed like the better fit in the end.” He almost had to laugh at how simply that was putting things. “What areas are you interested in?”

Fabio went first, and Marc could easily see that the youngest of the lot was not afraid to put himself out there. “I’m thinking cardio. I’d _kill_ to work with Rossi.”

“I doubt you’d be the first to be honest. What about you, Alexis?”

“I haven’t quite figured it out yet,” the older Frenchman admitted with a shrug, “There’s a couple I’m interested in, but it doesn’t really matter in the end, does it? If you come to Monlau the decision is kinda made for you…”

“To a certain extent, yes. But they’re going to put you where they think your strengths are, you just have to keep an open mind. I think everyone in my intake is happy where they are.” Then he remembered Pol. “Well, all but one and he… _well_ …” _Moving swiftly on_. “What about you, Miguel?”

The Portuguese paused hesitantly for a moment. “Uh, to be honest I’m pretty sure I want to specialise in dental surgery.”

 _You what?_ Shocked looks were exchanged between the other three students while Marc pursed his lips in brief contemplation. “Wow, that’s really interesting. When did you decide that?”

“I knew after pre-med. I don’t know why, I’ve just always been interested in dentistry.”

“It’s great that you’re so sure. And will probably be easier to get an internship too since it’s not so mainstream.”

“That’s what I’m hoping.”

Marc, just about to put the same question to the last of his group, never got the chance as a shrill beeping filled the air. Groaning, he downed the end of his coffee before scraping the chair backwards as he rose to his feet once again. The students looked quietly hopeful that they would get to witness something more exciting than post-op on a trapped nerve.

Checking his pager, a corner of his mouth tugged upwards. “Anyone fancy a trip to the OR?”

The answer was unanimous.

*****

Ordering his group up into the viewing gallery, Marc ground his teeth in frustration at the amount of time it took to scrub his hands and have a nurse tie him into his gown and glove him up. Eventually, his heart pounding as it always did when he was suddenly summoned to the OR, he finally got inside, faltering just a little when he saw the group of surgeons who were already gathered. One quick appraisal told him that it wasn’t the worst case scenario.

“Marc,” Dani locked eyes with him almost immediately, “Ricky’s going to need some steady hands. We’ve got a little bleeder that’s a bit more complicated than we first thought but it’s not a big emergency, okay?”

His heart rate fell ever so slightly and Marc nodded, fitting comfortably in alongside Ricky and opposite… Álvaro.

 _Well, isn’t this…_ cosy _._

He tried to ignore how uncomfortable the thought of being trapped in an OR with his boyfriend, his boyfriend’s boss who he kinda- a little bit- may have cheated on said boyfriend with, and his boss/boyfriend’s best friend. _Absolutely perfect_.

*****

Dani had been right- although the procedure required an awful lot of concentration, it was above all a marathon operation, meaning that they had a lot of time on their hands. And, in situations like that, _something_ was needed to help pass the time.

“So… was the party worth it?” Although the majority of Álvaro’s face was covered, it was clear that he was smirking and Marc hated him just a little bit.

Absolutely not. Especially when he couldn’t drink half as much as he actually wanted. “I think you already know the answer to that. The timing was… unfortunate.”

Arching an eyebrow, Dani looked between the couple. “Is this the party that Espargaró has been going on all week about not being invited to?” At the intern’s confused expression, the paeds attending shot him a look that said ‘seriously, you don’t think I hear things that I absolutely don’t want to’.

“Probably. I suppose Maverick would have told him.”

“Maverick?” Ricky queried, well aware of the divide between the interns.

 _Shit_. “Uh, yeah… It’s- well…”

“Subtle as a brick as always, darling.”

“Oh _yeah_ , look who’s talking!”

“He has got a point there,” Ricky conceded, all too amused by the situation.

Mock glaring at his best friend momentarily, Álvaro returned his attention to their patient. “You’re meant to be on my side. Just wait and see if I witness your next marriage!”

“It’s okay, we’ll ask Marc instead. It will be a nice little departmental bonding exercise.”

Marc scrunched up his nose. “Whatever _bonding_ you two are doing, leave me out of it.”

“And you do realise the words ‘next marriage’ imply someone other than your current spouse, right?” Dani offered and Marc was momentarily taken aback. The question in itself was rather innocuous but, knowing what he did, it caused the neuro intern to stop for a moment, unable to keep himself from looking up at the smaller man stood directly across from him. Their eyes met once more, the gaze lingering that little bit longer this time as a flash of confusion mixed with… _something_ crossed Dani’s face.

After a moment of eye contact, Marc suddenly remembered himself, remembered where they were, and risked a glance at their colleagues who, thankfully, were too pre-occupied to notice… whatever _that_ was.

 _And there go those pesky butterflies again_.

*****

Sure, having the privilege to witness a procedure like that first-hand was fantastic, but there came a point after approximately 3 hours that the boys would, metaphorically seeing as they were sitting down, collapse with the hunger. All it took was a raised eyebrow or two and a nod and they were all filing out of the viewing gallery, hoping that at least one of them remembered how to efficiently get back to the cafeteria.

Stretching, Fabio’s neck almost rotated like an owl’s as he caught the eye of a slightly blushing nurse who was just passing.

“So what do you think?”

“I think it’s crazy- I mean, we know how long these things take but when you’re sitting there watching an actual full-length procedure… it just puts into perspective just how slow you have to take things.”

Alexis chewed on his lip. “Is anyone else feeling completely underprepared right now?”

All three of his peers raised their hands.

*****

Laying eyes on four stragglers entering the cafeteria, Pol waved them all over to where he was having lunch with Scott and their collective students. “Hey guys, where’s your intern?”

“He’s in surgery,” Navarro shrugged, “it’s been going on for hours now and he said to have lunch without him if that happened…”

“Okay, great. Go get yourself some food and come join us, the more the merrier.”

They did just that. Returning with their trays of remarkably appetising food for a hospital cafeteria, Marc’s students slotted in amongst the rest.

“Who’s your intern again?” Pol enquired once all the introductions had been made, “it’s hard to keep track with so many around the place.”

“Uh, Dr Marquez. He’s actually in surgery with your resident and your attending at the moment.”

Pol’s face instantly turned sour and Scott only had to glance at his friend before bursting into laughter. “I thought the whole Lorenzo-Marquez-Pedrosa love triangle was finished?”

“It’s supposed to be,” he sulked.

Sensing they may have put their foot in it, Miguel tried to explain. “Dr Cardús needed some help with a bleed.”

That seemed to pacify the paeds intern, though his face remained clouded, as though something was still bothering him.

“I think they forgot that we were actually there,” Fabio smirked, “Dr Marquez and Dr Bautista are a couple, right?”

“What? I thought Dr Marquez and Dr Pedrosa were a couple…” Alexis frowned, eyes widening when the two interns spluttered comically.

“WHAT.”

“Marquez and Pedrosa?? No way in hell. The thought of Pedrosa actually putting up with Marquez is comical.”

“Fabio’s right though, Álvaro and Marc have been a thing for a while now. They’re sickening, Álvaro is besotted.

Cheeks still flaming, Alexis looked down at his food as he stabbed a chip. Maybe his observation skills needed some fine-tuning.

 


	44. Dealing in Confined Emotions (I Can't Breathe)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _He's in the middle of two fallen lovers,_   
>  _Gets tossed around in the eye of your storm,_   
>  _Hiding out in the thoughts of others,_   
>  _Can't keep your hands inside of my head,_   
>  _For so long, he's known._

Feeling someone clap him on the back, Marc jumped, flicking water all down his front. He was more startled than anything, that was until he turned around and saw Dr Pedrosa standing there, looking the tiniest bit conflicted. His stomach dropped instantly. “Good job, Marquez. You did well today, as usual.” 

The intern suddenly felt like he was too hot, like every inch of him was burning, and not in a pleasant way. Marc’s eyes momentarily flicked over to Álvaro, and was relieved to see that he and Ricky were preoccupied with whatever conversation they were having. “Thank you, Dr Pedrosa,” he cleared his throat, “It was a pleasure to operate with you again.” 

“Yes, it was... nice,” the attending offered, as if it were the last way he would actually describe it, “And, on the bright side, you just knocked six hours off the time you need to spend looking after your group.” 

“It’s not really as bad as I expected. They’re a good group of guys.” 

“Well then,” Dani nodded, “you better go reclaim them. I’m sure they’re itching to ask questions.” 

At that, Marc finished scrubbing up, drying his hands with some paper towels before casting Dani, who was still standing there, one last glance and nodding before he headed for the door. 

It took a lot of effort to climb the short flight of stairs to the viewing gallery after being on his feet for so long. His mind raced the whole way there, unanswered questions plaguing him. Marc knew he was in trouble- whatever attraction he felt to the paeds attending seemed to bee festering rather than going away and was becoming borderline unbearable. Something would have to give sometime soon, or he was pretty sure the weight of it all would just consume him. There was, undoubtedly, a spark between him and Dani, enough for the older man to kiss him very enthusiastically when their guards were down. But whether that spark amounted to anything more than that in Dani’s eyes was- well- thus far undetermined.

Pushing all that to the back of his mind, Marc gave his students a small smile, gesturing for them to follow him back downstairs. 

“Any questions?” 

They, of course, had many questions. All of which Marc was more than happy to answer; he expected nothing less. Dutifully, he replied to each of them as well as he could, grateful when some of them were challenging enough to have to really contemplate them. 

When he finally made it to the canteen to grab something to eat before he passed out, Marc was surprised to find that there was little over an hour left in his shift, an hour until he could go home and get some rest in advance of his even longer shift the next day. 

The students- his at least- were surprisingly pleasant and easy to talk to. In fact, he could see himself being on friendly terms with them if any of them ending up working at Monlau in a year or two. He kept Emilio’s question- or more like request- in mind, and although there was very little between them, he could see Jorges and Valentinos in two in particular. It had nothing to do with knowledge or capacity, he could just see something in them that made them that little bit different. He wondered, not for the first time that day, whether someone had seen just that in him too. 

Finally, his shift ended, and Marc bid farewell to his group of students, passing on his email in case they had any questions before they parted ways. Marc, who had feared that his mind would go into overdrive once again the minute he reached the car park, was relieved to find that he was exhausted enough that his bed was his main priority. 

****

Sighing, Marc stuck his key in the door and turned it, not sure whether Alex would be there to open it if he merely knocked. The lights were on and he could hear his brother speaking, so he hung up his jacket and dropped his bag next to the door before heading for the living area. 

“Hey. So you’re alive-“ 

Stomach dropping, knowing that shouldn’t be the reaction he had, Marc tried his best to put a smile on his face and mask his surprise. “Álvaro, hi.” 

Looking very uncomfortable, Alex cast a glance between the couple before clicking his tongue and rising to his feet. “Cool, you’re here. I was just going to head out before Álvaro arrived, I hope you don’t mind.” 

I love how you’re apologetic when it’s obviously for our benefit. “Yeah, sure. Don’t stay out too late,” the older Marquez joked, though it was more to diffuse the obvious tension than anything. Alex bid them farewell before heading for the door, the couple remaining silent until they heard the soft click of the door. 

“Sorry, for just dropping by. I’m sure you’re tired.” 

“No,” Marc shook his head, feeling worried more than tired, “it’s fine. It’s nice to see you.” 

Álvaro hesitated for a moment and the knot in the younger man’s stomach tightened even more. “Marc, I...” 

“Hmm?” was all he could manage for fear of his voice betraying him. There was only one thing that he could think might have prompted this unannounced visit: he’d spotted the tension between him and Dani. 

Sighing, the paeds resident scrubbed a hand over his face, looking to the wall opposite him for a moment before his gaze returned to the younger man. “There’s something I think we need to discuss.” And that was it, tears began to materialise and sting Marc’s eyes. He tried to keep his composure but it was becoming increasingly hard for him to breathe, the weight of what was inevitably going to constrict his lungs. 

“O-okay.” 

_Right_...

“Marc... there’s been something  off between us lately, you know that, right?” 

“I know, but-“ 

“It’s all right,” his boyfriend cut him off, smiling sadly, “I get it. You know I love you, I just don’t think we can go on like this.” 

_Fuck_. Marc shook his head, unable to believe where this was going despite knowing that it was inevitable.  Somehow, now that it came down to it, Marc didn’t want to let go. And it wasn’t out of it wasn’t out of a misguided sense of duty. “Álvaro... we can fix it.” 

“You see that’s the thing: as far as I can see, we tried. I don’t know what changed, nor do I think I want to know, but I just don’t see how we can fix this, fix us. And you know what? I think it might be better if we didn’t. Working together has been... awkward for the past couple of weeks despite our efforts. The last thing we need is for that to get worse.” 

Tears were streaming freely down Marc’s face at this stage, the attempt at blinking them away of little help. “Álvaro, no...” 

“It’s okay,” the blond took his hand, using the other to clumsily wipe the tears from Marc’s cheeks. “I want to see you smile again, Marc. Really smile. I don’t know what went wrong or why but I know that’s not going to happen again when you’re still with me. You’ve lost your spark, and I want you to get it back. I want to see that light in your eyes again.” 

“I love you,” he choked, just managing to get the words out. 

“I know. I love you, too. I just don’t think you’re in love with me anymore. And that’s okay.” 

Marc couldn’t speak. He continued to sob, head falling forward as he fought to breathe. It was over. It was over and it hurt more than anything he’d experienced in his entire life. In other circumstances, Marc knew he probably would have begged. But he wouldn’t, because he knew that something was broken and it was his own doing. A part of him was glad that Álvaro had decided to end it with him, putting an end to all the suffering and deceit that the resident in no way deserved. He wanted more than anything for Álvaro to be happy and Marc knew that he and Álvaro could never be completely happy. Not like they were before, not after what Marc had done with Dani and not with the feelings he could no longer deny that he had for Álvaro’s boss. 

One thing he knew for sure: he had to let him go. 

Álvaro draped an arm over the younger man’s shoulders, pulling him close to his chest and placing a firm, lingering kiss against his temple. “You were so much more than I imagined. I’ll always be thankful for our time together.” 

Marc couldn’t think of an appropriate way to reply, so didn’t. Álvaro placed one last kiss against his hair before untangling them and rising to his feet. 

“You don’t need to worry about work. It might be awkward for a bit but we’ll be okay.” Marc gave a weak nod and the paeds resident lingered for a moment longer but decided it would be best to leave before the younger man’s crying made him want to take everything back. Without another word, he headed for the door and was gone. 

Marc continued to cry. He cried for all they had, all they’d lost. All he’d thrown away. 

There he remained, nose runny and eyes puffy, until something suddenly snapped inside him and he found himself filled with determination rather than desperation. Haphazardly wiping his face, Marc grabbed his keys from the counter where he’d deposited them not too long ago. 

****

Striding down the corridor, Marc hoped he would get to where he was going before losing his nerve completely. 

_112, 113, 114, 115..._

_116._

Staring down the door that had the words ‘on-call room’ emblazoned on it, Marc took a deep breath, sure he must have been going crazy. But at that moment, he couldn’t care in the slightest. Knocking, the intern didn’t have to wait long before the person inside called for him to come in. He did just that, making sure the door was firmly shut behind him. 

Dani, who had been lying on his side, was utterly perplexed when he looked up and saw the neuro intern standing there. Upon closer inspection, he noticed that the younger man’s eyes looked sore an puffy, his breathing the slightest bit laboured. His mind flashed back to that day he’d run into Marc on the stairs, when he had been inconsolable, and he stood.

“Marc... have you been crying?” 

Not the time. Ignoring that, Marc disregarded the voice in the back of his mind telling them that this was a very bad idea and took a large step forward, so that he and Dani were mere inches apart. Dani saw the burning in the younger man’s eyes and was just about to open his mouth to speak when Marc’s lips were suddenly pressed against his, moving against his. 

And he tasted so good. 

 


	45. One Half Won't Do

For a moment Dani could hardly comprehend what was happening. Marc had just appeared out of the blue, all red eyed and flushed, and now his lips- _those_ lips- were pressed against his, kissing him with an intensity that equalled the moment that never should have happened and then some. He could have put the fact that he didn’t withdraw immediately down to the fact that he had been completely blindsided, but Dani knew that it had more to do with his willpower than anything. Marc’s tongue demanded access to his mouth, which was all too willingly granted despite his knowledge that the last time they had been in this position had ended up being nothing less than a disaster.

Against his better judgment, Dani’s arms wound round the back of the younger man’s neck, pulling him close enough that their chests were pressed together as they continued to kiss. He even managed to open his eyes for a moment, long enough to realise that the neuro intern was the most beautiful person he’d ever seen in his entire life, and long enough to remember that he was Álvaro’s. He almost didn’t care enough for that to affect him. Almost…

Pulling out of the kiss but staying right where he was, the lack of confusion on the younger man’s face gave away the fact that he had most certainly been expecting that. Dani looked into those chocolate eyes and was surprised not to find an ounce of regret, unlike last time. It almost made him rethink.

“Marc… what are you doing?”

“Kissing you, what does it look like?”

“Yeah, I can see that. What about Álvaro? I shouldn’t have kissed you last time, it isn’t fair-“

“Álvaro and I broke up,” Marc said plainly, though Dani could see the tension in his jaw, “I’m… I’m tired, Dani. I’m tired of hiding the fact that I have feelings for you. I’ve tried, god knows I’ve tried, for weeks now and it’s tearing me apart. I can’t do it anymore.”

Momentarily taken aback by that, Dani had no doubt that it was the truth when he looked into the younger man’s eyes and saw that they were burning with sincerity and that Marc seemed to be completely unguarded for the first time since they had met. There were a lot of things that the paeds attending could and should have said in response to that but, despite how important they felt, he could think of something equally important. Without saying another word, Dani dove in for another kiss, deciding that he was tired of being selfless. He wanted this, he wanted _Marc_ , and he was damned if he was going to allow him to walk away again.

Backing Marc up against the wall, nostalgia flooding through him, Dani’s lips wandered so that he could suck a bruise on his collarbone, somewhere he knew scrubs would cover. The intern let out a little whine at that and Dani wasted no time in bringing their lips back together when he had finished, fingertips brushing over the mark. He knew he was at a disadvantage (depending on what way one looked at it); Marc wore jeans while he wore thin scrubs, his arousal by the situation much more evident. It seemed the younger man was very much aware of that, his hand migrating south until he was palming at his superior through the material, taking them past the point of being able to brush it off as just a kiss.

“Is it okay if I do that?”

 _Yes. Yes. YES._ Eyes squeezed shut, Dani let out a laboured breath and nodded. “More than okay. You locked the door, right?”

 _So that means that we’re actually going to do something that requires privacy._ “It’s locked.”

Nodding, the older man studied his colleague for a moment longer, the sound of their laboured breathing the only sound filling the room. Something seemed to snap inside of him as he realised that none of this was enough; that, despite only having been with his wife for the past 9 years, Dani desired Marc an awful lot more than he probably should have. But it was more than desire, the unassuming intern was proving to be something of a drug to him, making him crave more and more without his permission. One lip bite was all it took from Marc to make Dani want to kiss him and make him stop that, and that's exactly what he did. Using a little more force than was strictly necessary, the attending tugged on the younger man's hair as their lips collided once again, Marc almost exhaling his consent when Dani's fingers made their way to the zipper of his jeans, hesitating just long enough to give the other man a chance to back out.

"You do remember that I have a child?" he wondered, not trying to ruin the mood but needing to be certain that Marc knew exactly what he was getting himself in for, presenting him with an out in case that little fact had slipped his mind in the heat of passion.

Despite being taken aback by the question, Marc nodded. "Yeah, I know. It doesn't make a difference to me. Actually, that's a lie. It does make a difference to me," he saw the older man's face fall ever so slightly at that and couldn't help but smile. "It makes a difference because it's part of who you are, which makes it part of the reason I couldn't keep myself away from you in the first place. So it matters but it doesn't make any difference."

Dani would be lying if he said that he wasn't surprised by that, despite being well aware of the younger man's affinity for children, but decided that it wasn't exactly the best time to get into it in great detail. "So it's okay if I do this, then?" the question low and breathy, Dani slipped his fingers beneath the waistband of Marc's boxers, unable to keep from smirking at the tortured moan that escaped the other man.

"So so okay. Please, Dani-" He was more than happy to comply with the intern's wishes,  curling his fingers around Marc and watching his face contort with pleasure as his wrist moved up and down. "Get your scrubs off."

Dani arched an eyebrow at the demand. "You want to have sex in the on-call room?"

"What did you think you were doing?? And I'm not asking you to fuck me, I just wanted to touch you too... If that's okay?"

It took every ounce of will power Dani had not to throw caution to the wind and actually beg Marc for sex, such was the effect that the younger man's words had on him. That, however, would have to wait for another time. They had time. Instead, he did as he was told, pushing his scrub pants and underwear down to below his knees.

Marc almost licked his lips in satisfaction at what he saw, opting instead to cop a feel himself, exploring Dani's body with his fingertips, every sigh and moan that fell from his lips only serving to make Marc even harder. He couldn't help wondering how he had planned to go on ignoring what he blatantly felt for the paeds attending, unable to tell how that would have ultimately turned out. The answer was probably something along the lines of what was currently happening but with a lot more guilt. Once he'd gotten a taste of Dani, all those weeks ago, that had been the end for him. No matter how hard he fought, there the older man was every day, like some cruel joke, his ex so often by his side. Something would have had to give at some point.

"As much as I don't want to rush this, I could be paged any minute and I really don't fancy going to see my patients with a massive hard-on..."

Unable to keep from scrunching up his nose at the thought of that, Marc chuckled. "I'm pretty sure that one would be hard to explain to the police."

"Don't," Dani warned, shuddering.

"Guess I'll just have to get to work then, won't I?"

****

"Fuck."

Marc looked up, sated and contented, still leaning against the wall until such a time as he regained proper use of his legs. It didn't take him long to realise the problem, spotting the streaks of stickiness spattered across both the top and bottom of his scrubs. "Mine or yours?"

"Probably both," he admitted, "Doesn't matter. I'm not going to be able to walk out there like this. I don't know what's worse: the thought of them thinking that I was having quality time by myself or that there was someone else in here with me..."

Marc zipped his jeans back up once again, unable to keep from laughing. "I can say with one hundred percent certainty that it would be the former."

"You're an asshole, you know that."

"Are you kidding? I'm a lovely person."

Letting out a huff, the attending grabbed some more paper towels from next to the sink. No matter how he rubbed, the stains remained as they were. "Remind me why I didn't just get naked."

 _Now isn't that a thought..._ "To be honest I didn't know that was an option. Damn."

"Are you always this annoying?"

"If I was I wouldn't offer to go get you some clean scrubs, would I?"

"You sure that's a good idea? You might find yourself roped into doing something."

Giving a little shrug, Marc inspected his own outfit to make sure that it wasn’t marked by anything that shouldn't have been there. "It would be so worth it to be perfectly honest. But I'll try to go under the radar because I really need to go home and get some sleep."

Dani couldn't argue with that.

****

"Marc?"

 _Well so much for not getting caught..._ "Ricky, hi..."

Frowning, his resident put the pen he had been making file notes with down on the counter of the nurses station. "I thought you were finished hours ago?"

"Not hours ago but... yeah. I... I left my phone here and on my way to retrieve it I ran into Pedrosa. One of his patients threw up on him so I offered to get him some new scrubs before I leave again."

Obviously having no reason to think he was lying, Ricky seemed to accept that easily, even going as far as to scrunch his nose up. "Right. I'm sure he was delighted. Better not keep him waiting so."

For a moment Marc hesitated, wondering whether or not he should mention something about his and Álvaro's break up. _Would it be weird if I didn't and he found out later? Would it be weird if I did? Isn't that kinda Álvaro's job?_ Ultimately, he decided against it, not wanting to talk about it. Especially after… everything. "Yeah, I better not. Talk to you tomorrow..."

“Goodnight. Go home and get yourself some rest.”

“Will do.” He had just turned to begin to leave when his name was called again. “Yeah?”

“Are you… are you okay? You look a bit pale.”

Marc didn’t for one moment doubt that he was. The moment he’d left the on-call room the gravity of the situation had instantly began to press down on him; he and Álvaro hadn’t even been broken up an hour before he’d gone running to Dani- his ex’s _boss_ \- and, well, he wasn’t at all sure how any of this was going to work. What he didn’t doubt, however, was that it had been the right decision. “I’m fine. Just really tired,” was what he said, ‘ _You’ll soon find out’_ was what he meant.

****

The knock on the door followed by the quiet ‘Dani?’ was enough to convince the attending that it was the right person and that he wasn’t about to completely embarrass himself. He unlocked it, Marc quickly slipping inside once again, thankfully with a pair of navy scrubs in his possession.

“Everything go okay?” he wondered, slipping off his pants first.

 _Well…_ “I bumped into Ricky but I just made up some story about leaving something here and running into you. If anyone asks you were puked on by a patient, okay?”

“Okay,” Dani agreed, unable to keep from laughing at that, “Did Álvaro tell him?”

Leaning back against the door, shamelessly watching the other man get changed, Marc shook his head. “No, thankfully. I really couldn’t deal with the questions or the sympathy right now.”

The attending didn’t reply to that straight away, comfortable silence falling between the two of them as Dani finished getting dressed, tossing his unclean scrubs into the bin before turning his attention back to Marc. “So… what does this all mean?”

He wasn’t quite sure that he knew. “What do you want it to mean? You’re his boss, I understand it you don’t want to make things complicated.”

“Okay, so I’ll going to be completely straight with you here: I want to give this a try. I know this may scare you off but you’re the first person I’ve looked twice at since my wife left me and I really think that means something. But I also think, if we do go down this road, we need to keep it between us. And I’m not just saying that because I’m a notoriously private person. Like you said, not only is Álvaro my resident, he’s also my friend and I really don’t want to hurt him.”

Processing all of that, Marc gave a little nod. “Okay. Well, first of all, I’m not scared and I think it means something too. I was happy with him, I loved him but you… I don’t know how you did it but you just made it all _not enough_. The last thing I want to do is hurt Álvaro and I guess I should have just broken it off with him once I started having doubts instead of convincing myself that it was all fine but... What I’m trying to say is that I’m okay with keeping us a secret. In fact, I think it’s really the only option.”

“So now we just… date?”

“That’s essentially it,” Marc chuckled, “I know that Carla has to be your main priority but yeah, I would like to see where this goes.”

“Okay.”

“Okay?”

“Yeah, I would like you date you.”

“Then I guess we just do it so. As much as I would like to discuss this further, I should probably get going before any… news starts to travel. You working tomorrow?”

“Nope, spending some time with my little girl.” Marc’s smile at that prompted Dani to smile too.

“Tell her I said hi. Or don’t… it’s at your discretion.”

The attending knew where the doubt was coming from, the circumstances had most certainly changed dramatically. “I’ll tell her. All going well, it will still be a while before she _knows_ anything but she really likes you.”

 _I can imagine that’s going to be a major thing if the day comes_. “I like her too,” Marc grinned, remembering the little whirlwind of a seven year old fondly. “I guess I’ll see you the following day so?”

“Yeah, you will.” Dani made the short journey over to where the younger man was standing, hand already on the door handle. Hesitating for a moment, he laughed at how ridiculous he was being after what they’d just done, which earned him a confused and somewhat concerned look from the intern. He didn’t feel the need to explain with words, closing the distance until their lips met. It was by far the most chaste kiss they’d shared, but yet it still made his stomach do a little flip. “Night, Marc.”

“Night, Dani.”


	46. Go Your Own Way

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So it's been 3 months... I apologise profusely!

Marc turned the key in the door as quietly as possible in the hope that either his brother wouldn’t hear it or, even better, he wouldn’t have returned from wherever he went to give him and Alvaro some space to talk. Of course, he had no such luck. Alex’s head seemed to appear out of nowhere as he peered around the wall separating the living area from the hall. “Hi.”

“Hey.” Dumping his keys on the table by the door, Marc almost went to shrug off his jacket before realising that he’d forgotten to take one in all his haste to get out of there.

“Is everything okay? I came back and you were just gone…”

Sighing, the older of the two gave a little shrug. “Alvaro and I broke up, which you probably already guessed. And, before you say anything, I’m fine. Yes, there is a story behind it and I haven’t exactly been completely honest with you but I promise I’ll tell you tomorrow. I just need to go to bed because my head is still spinning and I have to make sense of all this myself first.”

Alex could only blink, nodding as he took in all of that. He would have been lying if he said that he hadn’t suspected that Marc was keeping something from him, which made him worry about the severity of whatever it was he was holding back. They had, since they were children, always told each other everything and the fact that Marc felt he couldn’t tell him this- whatever it was- was more than a little bit worrying. “Okay. As long as you’re okay?”

“Yeah, I’m fine. I’ll talk to you tomorrow?”

“Yeah. What time does your shift start?”

“One.”

 _So we have time to talk._ “Okay, night.”

That one simple word bringing back far more memories than it should, Marc began to gravitate towards his room in a daze. “Night.”

*

He knew he was in trouble when he woke to the smell of pancakes the following morning. Or maybe woken _by_ the smell of pancakes was a better way to put it. Marc was unable to keep from rolling his eye, groaning as he threw the covers off him. That one was pulled right from the Roser Alenta playbook. _Our mother would be so proud._ Cursing his brother’s sneakiness, the intern padded out of his room and towards the kitchen, grimacing when he was met with an overenthusiastic smile.

“Morning.”

“Morning,” he grumbled. “You know pancakes are really inappropriate for what I’m going to tell you.”

Alex shrugged, scooping another onto the plate on which they were stacked. “How am I supposed to know? You haven’t told me anything yet.”

“I don’t deserve pancakes.”

Another shrug, this time accompanied by a sad smile. “Well they’re already made and you have to eat breakfast…”

 _Spreading Nutella on pancakes while telling my brother about how I fucked my boyfriend over, stay classy Marc._ Marc gave a little hmph, grabbing a plate and tossing a couple onto it. The younger Marquez turned off the burner and grabbed one for himself.

“Start talking.”

He certainly didn’t want to but he’d promised… Sighing, Marc took a bite of his pancake first, trying to work up the courage. “Things were… difficult between Alvaro and I for a couple of weeks now.”

“Yeah, I had noticed that.”

“Right. Well that was my fault. Because I started having feelings for someone else.” _And now you’re choking, great._

“Sorry,” Alex managed to get out between coughs, “Just went down the wrong way. Okay… who?”

Cringing, Marc squeezed his eyes shut for a moment. “Dani, one of our attendings.”

 _Okay, not good._ “Right… so not an ‘I’m actually straight’ freak out then?”

“Nope,” he chuckled humourlessly, “more of an ‘I’m definitely not straight’ thing.”

“So is Dani in Neuro too?”

“No, Jorge’s my attending and he’s happily married to my resident. Dani… Dani works in Paeds.”

Alex was not a neurosurgeon in training but he was not an idiot either. He dropped his fork, jaw falling open simultaneously. “Marc! Alvaro’s _boss_?!”

 _I KNOW_. “I didn’t mean for it to happen, I promise! It just sort of hit me out of nowhere. Dani was upset about a patient one night and we kinda had a moment and he kissed me. Then it was just like ‘bam!’ I stayed away from him after that because I loved Alvaro, I chose neuro over paeds… I did everything I could to leave it behind me but I obviously didn’t do a good enough job because Alvaro and I were broken.”

Food long forgotten, Alex shook his head in disbelief. “So that’s all it was, a kiss?”

“Well, it wasn’t exactly just a peck on the lips but yeah, just a kiss.”

“But you and Alvaro were so good together! You’re telling me that’s all done because of a kiss?”

“It’s not fair to him. I wasn’t fair on him but I was in denial. If we were really meant to be then I don’t think I would have fallen for Dani the way I did.”

“Okay, I get it. Sorry, I know that this isn’t how you wanted everything to turn out. So what happens now? You and Alvaro are done, what does that mean for you and Dani?”

Marc opened his mouth to reply, closing it swiftly when he realised he had no idea what to say. It was extremely tempting to say he just didn’t know how things were going to turn out but he was sick of lying, and lies hadn’t done much good for him up until that point. Alex watched him expectantly and Marc knew that his brother had a fair idea of where this was going but was just waiting for him to say it. “I went to the hospital last night after Alvaro left. With Dani… it feels like there’s so much potential there. We’re going to take it slow and, of course, it has to remain a secret but we’ve decided to give it a try.”

The raised eyebrows from his brother was enough to tell him exactly what Alex thought of that. “Going immediately from one relationship to another? You sure that’s a good idea?”

“It’s not going to be a relationship. Like I said, we’re taking it very slow. Dani’s an incredibly private person.”

Realising that Marc had all but made up his mind about this, Alex sighed. “If you think you know what you’re doing, go ahead. But please be careful; Alvaro’s a great guy, he doesn’t deserve to get hurt. And you have to think about how it’s going to affect all your professional lives if this gets out.”

“I know,” that was the understatement of the century, “it’s all new and crazy but we understand what’s at stake.”

“Marc?”

“Hmm?”

“I’m glad you told me eventually. You can’t help who you fall for.”

“No, you can’t.”

*

“Marc?”

With a serious sense of déjà vu, Marc draped his stethoscope around his neck. “Yes?”

Ricky eyed him suspiciously. “You’re here.”

“Uh, yeah? My shift started half an hour ago. I’ve been doing rounds,” he explained, more than a little bit confused.

“I thought… I thought you might like to take a personal day.”

 _Ah_. Scribbling some figures down, he gave his resident a half smile. “Thanks for your concern but I’m fine. I’d rather be here doing something instead of sitting at home.”

Ricky, genuinely shocked by that, thought back on the time when Alvaro and Marc had unofficially ‘broken up’ and the debacle that had occurred as a result. He’d been expecting something along the lines of that, not the perfectly calm and collected intern who was standing in front of him. “Okay, then. Well, how about you take the pit today?”

“Sure,” the younger man shrugged, “If that’s where you need me.”

“Uh, yeah. It is. Just… page if you need anything.”

Figuring that he should at least be familiar with the drill by now, Marc arched an eyebrow in mild amusement but nodded anyway. “Sure.”

*

“Could you talk Ms Benitez through the risks and whatnot? I’m not really sure that this is the best plan of action. If she really wants to do this I want to make sure that she’s fully aware of what it could mean for her going forward.”

“Absolutely,” Ricky nodded, taking the file from his husband. “Have you by any chance seen Marc today?”

Looking up from his phone, Jorge frowned. “I have not. Is he missing again?”

 _That’s the strange thing._ “No, he’s here and he’s fine.”

 _Uh…_ “Then I’m not exactly seeing a problem?”

“It’s just… I’m worried he’s not coping.”

“I think we’ve all seen what it looks like when Marc Marquez isn’t coping. You know that with him what you see is pretty much what you get, right? If he appears to be fine then I would be inclined to believe that he is, in fact, fine.”

Pursing his lips, Ricky rested his forearms on the counter of the nurses’ station, mulling it all over in his head. Alvaro hadn’t been very forthcoming with details when they’d met for coffee earlier on that morning. All he’d basically said was that they weren’t working and it was best to end it before anyone got hurt. The neuro resident shook his head. “I want to know what went wrong. They seemed so happy and now… Marc actually seems to be okay, Alvaro’s not a complete mess but he’s clearly heartbroken-“

“I’m sure if there’s something to tell Alvaro will tell you when the time is right for him. What was it we said before? They’re good together but there’s just-“

“Something, I remember. I hope this means that it won’t be too hard for them to work together. For everyone’s sake.”

 _And now I’m glad that I pushed so hard for Marc to stay in neuro._ “Time will only tell…”

*

“Hello, Mr Nieto. My name is Dr Marquez and I’ll be taking care of you today. I hear you’ve got a bit of a cut?” Marc asked, casually flicking through the report from triage.

The patient nodded, hand pressed firmly against his neck. “It was a freak accident. The knife just slipped and the next thing you know I was bleeding all over the place.”

Wondering how exactly the knife slipped and managed to cut the guy’s neck, the intern put down the chart, moving closer to examine the wound that was covered by a pressure bandage. “Okay, well I’m sure we can get that fixed up for you. I’ll just need to take a look…” the patient gave a nod, which Marc instantly warned against, hands coming to rest on the guy’s jaw to adjust his position accordingly. Removing the bandage, he had to resist the urge to gasp at just how deep the wound was. And incredibly close to the artery…. “Okay, Mr Nieto… It appears that you’re an incredibly lucky man but, please, next time be more careful. You were millimetres away from bleeding to death.”

“Oh, I know. It will be plastic knives for me from now on, trust me.”

Corners of his mouth tugging upwards at that, Marc gently prodded the area surrounding the wound, just to make sure everything else was okay. “Usually for something like this we would put in a stitch or two but, given the severity of the area, I would feel more comfortable gluing it instead. Is that all right?”

“Do what you like. As long as I don’t bleed to death I don’t care.”

“Excellent. I’m just going to prepare everything and I’ll be back in a couple of minutes. You’ll be out of here in no time.” Pressing the bandage back on, Marc made for the supply closet, noting momentarily how eerily quiet the place was. He grabbed what he needed from the supply room, heading back to his patient’s bed when he collided with someone coming against him. And as luck would have it…

“Hi…” Marc blinked once he had righted himself again, the other man’s hands wrapping around his biceps to steady him. He knew going the whole day without bumping into his ex would be a farfetched fantasy, but now that Alvaro was standing in front of him he found himself feeling even guiltier than he had the night before. The paeds resident had seen better days, eyes bloodshot with dark circles beneath them, even his hair seemed a lot duller than it usually did.

“Marc, hi…”

 _Say something._ “Sorry about that, I’ve got a patient who accidentally stabbed himself in the neck and I was so focused on getting back to him that I wasn’t looking where I was going.”

Alvaro observed him carefully, making the younger man feel uncomfortable, before shaking his head. “It’s fine, don’t worry. Are… how are you?”

“I’m okay I guess,” Marc shrugged, cringing at how overly simplistic that sounded, “You?”

“Yeah, I’m okay. I- I came across some stuff of yours last night… I’ll stick it in a box and bring it in tomorrow.”

And if there was any doubt before that their relationship was over, that put an end to it. Marc supposed that it was better to just get it over with quickly, so that they could both move on. Though he had quite the head start on that one… “Oh, okay. I’ll do the same tonight.” An awkward silence fell over them as the blond nodded and Marc began to wonder just how excruciating it would become when Dani returned the following day. “Er, I better get back to my patient in case he does something stupid and actually bleeds to death this time. I’ll… see you around?”

 _So this is how it goes._ “Yeah, I’ll see you around.”


End file.
